Case study:The Lowther catchment water vole project

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Location: 54° 34' 57.10" N, 2° 44' 51.96" W

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Project overview

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Status	Complete
Project web site	http://www.edenriverstrust.org.uk/readying-the-return-of-ratty-back-to-edens-riverbanks/
Themes	Habitat and biodiversity
Country	England
Main contact forename	Environment
Main contact surname	Agency
Main contact user ID
Contact organisation	Environment Agency
Contact organisation web site
Partner organisations	Eden Rivers Trust
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

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Project summary

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Water voles were once widespread in Cumbria but are now almost absent from the county except for isolated populations in the eastern part of the Eden catchment. The holes that would have once been their burrows are still visible on some of our riverbanks. But we rarely see a water vole in them now.

To secure the future of this native species, river conservation charity, the Eden Rivers Trust has recently launched an £80k partnership project funded by the Environment Agency and The Hadfield Trust that will hopefully see this much-loved small mammal return to Cumbrian rivers in the future.

We are joining forces with the RSPB, Lowther Estates, United Utilities, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Penrith Anglers and local farmers through our Lowther and Leith Facilitation Fund farmer group to put in place long-term, ongoing control of American mink (the invasive species that preys on water voles) and create the ideal habitat into which captive-bred water voles can be released, hopefully from 2023 onwards.

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Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Edit the catchment and subcatchment details (affects all case studies in this subcatchment) Catchment River basin district Eden and Esk River basin Subcatchment River name River Eden Area category Area (km2) Maximum altitude category Maximum altitude (m) Dominant geology Ecoregion Dominant land cover Waterbody ID Other case studies in this subcatchment: Eden crayfish eDNA project, Farming with water - Ullswater Catchment, Pow Beck Water Quality Improvement Programme, Scales Farm Site Edit site Name WFD water body codes GB102076071010 WFD (national) typology WFD water body name Pre-project morphology Reference morphology Desired post project morphology Heavily modified water body National/international site designation Local/regional site designations Protected species present Invasive species present Species of interest Dominant hydrology Dominant substrate River corridor land use Average bankfull channel width category Average bankfull channel width (m) Average bankfull channel depth category Average bankfull channel depth (m) Mean discharge category Mean annual discharge (m3/s) Average channel gradient category Average channel gradient Average unit stream power (W/m2) Project background Edit project background Reach length directly affected (m) Project started Works started Works completed Project completed Total cost category Total cost (k€) Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources Cost for project phases Phase cost category cost exact (k€) Lead organisation Contact forename Contact surname Investigation and design Stakeholder engagement and communication Works and works supervision Post-project management and maintenance Monitoring Reasons for river restoration Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure Hydromorphology Biology Physico-chemical Other reasons for the project Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Floodplain / River corridor Planform / Channel pattern Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Social measures (incl. engagement) Other Monitoring Hydromorphological quality elements Edit Hydromorphological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Biological quality elements Edit biological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Physico-chemical quality elements Edit Physico-chemical quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic Edit Other responses Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Monitoring documents Upload monitoring documents Additional documents and videos Upload additional documents Additional links and references Edit links and references Link Description Supplementary Information Edit Supplementary Information