Drinkfield Marsh LNR Management Plan
Site Description:
Drinkfield Marsh is a 6Ha site managed as a local nature reserve to the northern edge of Darlington, surrounded by a new housing estate, industrial operations and a school field, from a nearby local secondary school. Designated in 1997 as an LNR, the site is one of Darlington’s most important, popular and attractive wildspaces.
A large 1Ha shallow lake, bordered with a mix of Common Reed Phragmites and Bulrush Typha beds, dominate the site. The site also features a mosaic of rough grassland, wildflower meadow, wet grassland, which includes a series of small amphibian ponds, with extensive scrub and plantation-wooded areas, also present. The site also has 3 access points and over 1km of disabled access routes. Other access features, such as the willow jetty, further compliment the site.
The site is very popular with local dog walkers and school children. Cross-country running from the local school, feeding the ducks and wildlife watching are all regular occurrences. The site is important for it’s over wintering birds, a breeding Reed Warbler population, within one of Darlington’s most important Reedbeds. Suitable Great Crested Newt, Water Vole and Water Shrew habitat are also present on site.
Primary Features:
-1. Large Lake, with connecting weirs.
-2&3. Emergent Vegetation
-4. Wet grassland and ponds
-5. Rough grassland
-6. Wildflower Grassland.
-7. Scrub.
-8. Woodland
-9,10&11. Access features.
-12. Visitors
Long Term Vision:
To maintain Drinkfield Marsh LNR as an important wildlife and recreational wild space, well managed, rich in biodiversity, and an educationally rich environment to explore.
Future Projects:
-Re-instate full willow tunnel along jetty.
-Establish attractive, well-maintained entrance and wetland features.
-Create a new wildflower meadow.
-Schools Education Programme of Events?
-Re-establish breeding Great Crested Newt population in small ponds.
-Re-instate weirs to ideal Water Vole habitat.
-Remove excess growth of typha & other invasive vegetation to improve the water flow in the weir channel & small ponds
-Establish bird-feeding stations.
-Establish a butterfly nectaring area through suitable planting in a sheltered, sunny area.
Management Objectives:
- Ensure main lake, outflow and margins have healthy water quality and high biodiversity value.
-Monitor water quality through sampling. (E.A. to carry out sample testing) F/G to complete?
-Survey water aquatic plants and invertebrates present.
-Ensure Mare’s Tail plant is present within 5-25% of total lake area. (E.A. approval for herbicide use)
-Ensure water levels in main lake are maintained through monitoring and top weir maintenance.
-Monitor fish levels and carry out one electro-fishing event a year (E.A. to undertake)
-Remove areas of Typha from the weir system, to provide a more suitable habitat for aquatic mammals and birds.
-Maintain 50/50 proportions of Typha and Phragmites beds. (use of aerial photography to monitor- 2011 available soon, to go with 1999, 2005 & 2008)
- Manage emergent vegetation to provide biodiverse habitat (Pragmites- Reedbed).
-Maintain and monitor proportions of Typha and Phragmites beds. A 50-50% is desirable. (Use of aerial photography to monitor- 2011 available soon, to go with 1999, 2005 & 2008)
-Survey number of singing Reed Warblers to assess population health and habitat suitability.
- Manage emergent vegetation to provide biodiverse habitat (Typha- Bullrush).
-Maintain and monitor proportions of Typha and Phragmites beds. A 50-50% ratio is desirable. (Use of aerial photography to monitor- 2011 available soon, to go with 1999, 2005 & 2008)
-Survey number of singing Sedge Warblers to assess population health and habitat suitability.
- Increase populations of amphibians and orange tip butterfly, including the re-establishment of breeding Great Crested Newts.
-Maintain scrapes to hold standing water.
-Monitor amphibian numbers.
-Survey Cuckoo Flower and Orange Tip butterfly numbers, as an indicator of optimal ground saturation.
- Retain course grass area for small mammals and invertebrates.
-Remove scrub encroachment.
-Accommodate new orchard planting
- Ensure the continued biodiversity and attractiveness of the wildflower meadow.
-Cut and remove arisings on an annual basis.
-Additional native wildflower seed, used in areas of poor diversity.
-Additional annual wildflower seed if needed in public areas lacking colour. (maybe a friends aspiration as funds allow?)
-Remove new scrub and tree growth to protect grassland areas.
- Manage scrub habitat for breeding birds
-Maintain dense areas of mature scrub for breeding birds
-Retain a minimum of 10% site area coverage, with an upper limit of 15%.
- Woodland
-Compliment existing woodland with additional native fruiting tree species.
-Replace lost conifer species with deciduous species, as opportunities arise, e.g. felling or windblown.
-Thin out over populated areas, to retain healthy specimens
- Access Features.
-Provide disabled access through appropriate gates, footpaths.
-Maintain viable short recreational grass areas (includes access features), approx 5% of total grassland area.
-Maintain gates and barriers to provide safe access and where possible exclude motor vehicles.
-Maintain access features (footpaths and pegs) to fishing ponds from car parking area.
-Maintain short grass within 1metre of footpath edges.
- Visitors & Community
-Ensure signage for the site is clean and visible.
- No Fishing signs in main lake!
-Run an environmental events programme on the site
-Receive and supervise educational study groups and on the site
-Attend steering group meetings.
-Implement a training programme to enable Friends Group to carry out projects and routine tasks
-Establish countryside ranger site presence.
-Work towards achieving projects, identified with Friends groups.
Management Operations:
Work Description
/ Compartment (seeAppendix 1) / Quantity / Timing /
Responsibility
/ Delivered ByGCN Monitoring
Ecologist survey / 4 / 2 / April-June every 2 years / Ecology officer (E.O.) / F/G to assist after training
1. Large Lake
Monitor water levels 4X annually / 1 / 1 / April, July, October & January / Ranger/Friends Group / F/G with trainingRemove invasive vegetation
Mechanically or Chemically (licence only) / 1 / 1 / March / DBC / Environment Agency
Survey for presence of GCN’s / 1 / 1 / April-June / E.O. / E.O.
Monitor fish population health check, inc potential electro-fish / 1 / 1 / June / DBC / E.A.
2&3. Emergent Vegetation (Phragmites and Typha)
Monitor & record pond water level depth. / 2 / 2 / July / Friends Group / F/G with training
Remove invasive vegetation (e.g. Typha) / 2 / 2 / November- February / E.O. / Ranger/ FG with training
Monitor Reed and Sedge Warbler numbers / 2 / 2 / June / E.O. / E.O. / FG, with training
Record plant species on pond edge / 2 / 2 / May- July / E.O. / F/G with training
Plant desirable plant species in pond margins (E.O. to advise on species for, e.g. water-forget-me-not) / 2 / 2 / July-August (site to site)
November- February (externally sourced stock) / Ranger/F/G / F/G with training
4. Wet Grassland & Small Ponds
Monitor Orange Tip butterfly and Cuckoo Flower numbers. / 4 / March-May / E.O. / FG with training
Amphibian Survey, inc GCN night surveys. / 4 / 2 / April-June / E.O. / E.O.
Monitor water level in small ponds. (mid summer viability) / 4 / 2 / July / E.O. / F/G
5. Rough Grassland
Remove new scrub growth / 5 / 3 / September- February / E.O. / F/G
6. Wildflower Grasslands
Establish new wildflower meadows by spraying, cutting, scarifying and seeding area. / 6 / 2 / Late August-Early September / E.O. / Ranger/ FGManage existing wildflower meadow through monitoring species, cutting and removing annual growth. (add seed and rotavated, if needed) / 6 / 2 / mid September / E.O. / F/G
7. Scrub
Remove new growth areas (not in breeding bird season) / 7 / 4 / September-February / E.O. / Ranger/ FG
8. Woodland
Cut long grass and invasive species back to 15cm height around new trees. / 8 / 6 / May-June / Ranger / F/GCarry out annual check on new trees to assess health and numbers / 8 / 6 / December- February / E.O./Ranger
Remove scrub encroachment / 8 / 6 / Ranger/F/G / F/G with training
9. Access
Spraying, weeding and edging / 11 / April-September / Ranger / F/G with training
Maintain short grass at entrances and recreational area / 11 / April-September / Ranger
10. Visitors & Community
Events programme annually
/ 6 / Ongoing / Ranger / F/G to assistTimetable, seek funding and co-ordinate projects, from Friends groups. / Quarterly.
Short, medium and long term projects. / Ranger / F/G to assist
Co-ordinate volunteers to help with the maintenance programme / Carry out regular practical days / Ranger / F/G to assist
Run training programme for volunteers
Receive school groups for educational visits / Ranger / Ranger/F/G to assist
Carry out site checks (Footpaths, dipping platforms, litter & entrances, etc) / Weekly / Ranger / Ranger/F/G to assist
Conduct litterpicks & rubbish removal / 2 x per year or as required / F/G / F/G
Carry out pruning & cutting back of trees & bushes to keep pathways clear. / 2 x per year or as required / F/G / F/G