12 May 2010
A disused Cumbrian reservoir has got a new lease of life as a natural haven for wildlife and country lovers.
Pretty Dubbs reservoir, near Ings, has been restored as part of a £2m project by United Utilities, in consultation with Natural England, the Environment Agency, Lake District National Park and Friends of the Lake District.
Even though it has no further use in the water supply system, Dubbs reservoir and nearby Dubbs Beck are recognised as an important natural habitat for several increasingly rare native species. They are part of the River Kent Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and are also an internationally important site for the native white-clawed crayfish and other rare aquatic creatures.
United Utilities project manager Carl Sanders said: "used to be an important source of water for communities in Windermere, Troutbeck Bridge and parts of Bowness. However improvements in our water network mean that treated water is supplied from other modern treatment works and Dubbs is no longer needed.
"Amazingly, Dubbs' importance is no longer as a water source, but as an important natural habitat for species like our native crayfish and even adders. Following advice from the Environment Agency and with help from other expert groups, we devised this important project to help preserve it that way," added Carl.
Sue Evans of Natural England, the Government's independent advisory body on the natural environment said Dubbs reservoir would be very important for indigenous wildlife. "This project will make a major contribution to the recovery of the beck and to some of our most threatened freshwater species in this part of the Lake District," she said.
Engineers worked closely with ecologists to stabilise the reservoir dam and build a new spillway to help maintain water levels at optimum levels for wildlife. The access road to the reservoir has also been improved and, after consultation with conservation charity Friends of the Lake District, other visual improvements such as new dry-stone walling, gates, the replacement of conifers with native species and the removal of intrusive signs are also being carried out.
Work on Dubbs' dam started in October. Contract firm Eric Wrights Civil Engineering worked very hard to ensure that the special features of the area were protected, despite very challenging weather conditions, added Carl. Special measures to protect wildlife during construction included reptile rescues, along with extensive silt and pollution control.
Part of the renovation work at Dubbs reservoir included building a new spillway to stabilise the dam levels, and new dry-stone walling and fencing.