Reservoirs
Abberton reservoir
Abberton reservoir has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area and a Ramsar Site (Wetland Site of International Importance). The site occupies 1000 hectares, of which 490 hectares are covered by water. The reservoir is a major stopping-off point for migrating wildfowl; it regularly supports over 20,000 wildfowl with numbers of Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler and Coot having in recent winters, equalled or exceeded 1% of the total north-west European wintering population. Also notable is a breeding colony of over 400 pairs of Cormorant – around 5% of the British breeding population.
Essex Wildlife Trust runs a visitor centre at Abberton and a purpose-made nature reserve. Essex & Suffolk Water funds a warden to manage the site. Bird hides and nature trails have been set out and the nature reserve has been specifically planted and maintained to suit small birds.
The site has been extensively surveyed and we are advised by Essex Wildlife Trust in our management of the site. Major changes are lined up for Abberton reservoir over the next 10 years. A large strategic resource is required within Essex to provide the amount of water required to ensure a continued future supply to customers over the next twenty five years. After over a decade of investigation, the resource being pursued by Essex & Suffolk Water is the Abberton scheme.
The scheme has three main components:
- Raising the top water level of Abberton Reservoir by 3.2 metres to increase the storage capacity by 60%.
- Obtaining additional water to fill the raised reservoir, by varying abstraction licences at Denver and Blackdyke, as part of the Ely Ouse to Essex Transfer Scheme, operated by the Environment Agency.
- Laying pipelines to transfer the additional water to Abberton from Denver.
Hanningfield reservoir
Our Hanningfield site is an area of 530 hectares of which 360 hectares is covered by water and designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Gadwall, tufted duck and pochard are three of the important breeding species here and year-round coot numbers are of national significance. The nature reserve on the edge of Hanningfield reservoir is leased to the Essex Wildlife Trust. Essex & Suffolk Water provided part of the funds for the Trust’s new visitor centre, and employ a warden to manage the site and run regular volunteer days throughout the year. The reserve has 40 hectares of woodland with bird hides and nature trails and is of significant importance in the county therefore a management plan, which has been agreed with local stakeholders, is in place to organise the conservation work on the site.
Horning Marsh Farm
Horning Marsh Farm is a 35 hectare reedbed site owned by Essex & Suffolk Water. It lies within the Bure Broads and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Area and Special Area of Conservation. 80% of the site is in the Broads Environmentally Sensitive Area scheme – fen tier agreement. This ensures that the site is managed as a reedbed with due regard to nature conservation. The site is dominated by common reed and saw sedge. Milk parsley is also located on the site. This is the food plant of the Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillar, Britain’s largest and rarest butterfly which is only found in the Norfolk Broads.
Horning Marsh Farm also provides habitat for Marsh Harriers and feeding areas for overwintering Bitterns. Our Catchment Officer based at Lound manages this site to ensure the protection of these species. There is no public access onto the site so the area is left virtually undisturbed for wildlife. However, the Broads Authority organises visits to the site through voluntary conservation activities and offers an annual Marsh Safari open to the general public.
Lound
The Lound lakes are situated near Lowestoft, and are reservoirs supplying water to this town and surrounding villages. Essex & Suffolk Water own approximately 80 hectares of water, grassland and woodland at Lound, which is designated as a County Wildlife Site, and is accessible to the general public via a network of public footpaths. Water is abstracted from the lakes and processed through a treatment works on site to supply potable water to the towns of Lowestoft, Belton and Hopton. The Lound Catchment Officer is thus responsible for coordinating site management and encouraging environmentally sensitive management in the wider catchment, working in conjunction with Essex & Suffolk Water and local stakeholders.
Trinity Broads
The Trinity Broads is a system of interconnecting shallow lakes in the Broads region of Norfolk. The water bodies within the Trinity Broads are Ormesby, Rollesby, Lily, Ormesby Little and Filby Broads and cover an area of 161 hectares. All of these Broads have good water quality as they are isolated from the main river system. Essex & Suffolk Water’s primary objective is to maintain the role of the Trinity Broads as a potable water supply, for the Great Yarmouth area, and to improve this resource in terms of its water quality. As a private water company they also strive to maintain the recreational use and conservation value of the area.