Following a busy two years of activity, a £100k project to improve the valuable wetland habitats of Waterford Marsh is approaching the finish line.

The project has been managed by the Countryside Management Service (CMS) on behalf of site owners Stapleford Parish Council, with the support of Hertfordshire County Council and the Environment Agency as funding partners. Additional funding was obtained through a Natural England Green Infrastructure grant, and a significant contribution by Network Rail.

The phase 2 works got underway in September of last year with the reinstatement of a section of collapsed riverbank on the River Beane to improve public access while maintaining a piped connection between the river and the marsh. Five new ponds were created which quickly filled with water and have largely remained wet ever since.

Early this year, the works continued with the final stage of restoring the watercourse that runs along the eastern boundary of the site. These works have involved clearing back dense overshading vegetation, dredging silt and debris from the channel, and reinstating fencing.

The CMS midweek practical conservation volunteers will be returning to the site shortly to install another pasture pump at the southern end of the marsh. This will provide cattle with an additional alternative water source to the River Beane which we hope will continue to alleviate the problems of poaching.

We are in the process of planning a launch event for this project and will announce details on this website shortly. For all other information about the Waterford Marsh Project please visit the project page here.

 

Design by LTD Design Consultants and build by Garganey Consulting.