WN5: Pond management (less than 100 square metres)

How much will be paid

£282.15 for first 100 square metres of pond.

Where to use this item

Available for Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Capital Grants.

Only:

• on ponds of up to 1 hectare
• in combination with a pond buffer strip option, if the pond is next to cultivated land or intensive grassland
• for pond restoration, where an assessment of existing biological interest and historic features has been completed

Where this item cannot be used

• to create ponds within 6m of a historic or archaeological feature identified in the HEFER
• within areas of wildlife habitat identified on the FER except with the written agreement of Natural England

How this item will benefit the environment

This item will create networks or complexes of at least 3 ponds and restore the wildlife value of ponds that have become degraded.

Requirements

Pond creation

• peg out the outline of the pond before excavations start, making sure that the pond has an irregular edge
• create a variety of water depths, from very shallow margins to pools of up to 1m to 1.5m deep and at least 7m by 7m square
• make sure that the majority of the margin is gently sloping, to create a large drawdown zone and extensive shallows
• use mechanical means or a weed wiper to control injurious weeds that colonise the spoil
• place any fencing at least 1m away from the bank top

Do not:

• link the pond to inflowing water from ditches and streams
• plant around the pond
• use spoil to form a mound or bank around the pond or to fill and level neighbouring wet areas
• dispose of spoil on historic or archaeological features as identified in the HEFER
• introduce any plants or animals to the pond, or feed wildfowl in or around it

Pond restoration

• carry out the work within the dates determined by the pre-application assessment
• remove woody cover from at least three-quarters of the pond margin, especially the southern side, so the pond receives the morning sun over a large area
• remove fallen trees and trees growing in the water to create open water
• keep features of historic or archaeological interest identified in the pre-application assessment
• remove sources of water pollution
• place cut vegetation far enough away from the top of the bank to prevent decaying material and run-off from falling in and polluting the pond
• use mechanical means or a weed wiper to control injurious weeds that colonise the spoil
• place any fencing at least 1m away from the bank top

Do not:

• re-profile or cut deeper than the original profile
• use spoil to form a mound or bank around the pond or to fill and level adjacent wet areas
• dispose of spoil on historic or archaeological features as identified in the HEFER
• use herbicides to control aquatic plants and bankside vegetation
• introduce any plants or animals to the pond, or feed wildfowl in or around the pond
• plant the pond banks following restoration, or plant trees or shrubs around the southern margin of the pond or anywhere around a pond within an open landscape

Keeping records

Agreement holders will need to keep the following records and supply them on request:

• any consents or permissions connected with the work
• receipted invoices, or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
• photographs showing the pond (or the location of a new pond) before the works begin
• an assessment of existing biological interest and historic features for ponds to be restored

Please see the record keeping and inspection requirements as set out in the relevant Mid Tier, Higher Tier or Capital Grants guidance for more detail. You can find the latest guidance at Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage.

Agreement holders will need to keep the following records and supply them with the claim:

• photographs of the site during the different stages of construction or contracts, invoices or other documents confirming the technical specification for the completed works
• photographs of the completed works in place and installed

Related Mid Tier and Capital Grants items

This item can be used on the same area as the following items:

• WN6 - Pond management (areas more than 100 sq m)

Advice and suggestions for how to carry out this item

The following section gives advice on carrying out this item successfully but does not form part of the requirements for this item.

How to choose a site

Create ponds in low input, semi-natural habitats that have small catchments and are unconnected to other water bodies (to protect them from pollution). To encourage biodiversity, aim to create a variety of pond types (e.g. in depth, size and age) close to other freshwater habitats.

How to manage the site

Manage only part of the pond at any one time and always keep some of the existing habitat as it is including some of the leaf litter, logs and woody debris. If there are a number of ponds on a site, do not use the same management plan on all of them at the same time. Aim to maintain diversity in the pond complex. If the pond contains a protected species, a wildlife licence will be required.

Biodiversity

This item has been identified as being beneficial for biodiversity. All Countryside Stewardship habitat creation, restoration and management options are of great significance for biodiversity recovery, as are the wide range of arable options in the scheme. Capital items and supplements can support this habitat work depending on the holding’s situation and potential.

The connectivity of habitats is also very important and habitat options should be linked wherever possible. Better connectivity will allow wildlife to move/colonise freely to access water, food, shelter and breeding habitat, and will allow natural communities of both animals and plants to adapt in response to environmental and climate change.

Further information

More information about creating ponds is available from the Freshwater Habitats Trust.

Read Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage to find out more information about Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Capital Grants including how to apply. [HEFER]: historic environment farm environmental record [FER]: farm environment record