Ponds are shallow bodies of water that warm up through their whole depth in summer, compared to lakes which are deeper and have a permanently cool zone at depth. By this definition, a wide body of water but of only shallow depth would be a pond, which can be very confusing.
The trouble is that many ponds are in decline. Nobody needs horse ponds anymore and cattle get their water from troughs at the end of a hose. The countryside is littered with the remains of ponds. Many are quite old and derive from former gravel and clay workings. Some provided water for industry, others are agricultural and others, generally much larger, arise from modern mineral workings. Many simply languish, become infilled with road silt, grow over with willows and become dumping grounds for old motorbikes and supermarket trolleys and all manner of rubbish. As the ponds infill and become shaded, they rapidly lose their wildlife.
Fortunately, some ponds are being revived and there are local 'save our village pond' groups all over the UK. There are grants to revive ponds by removing vegetation and dredging and many housing developers have grabbed at the idea that making a pond not only provides the opportunity for quicker sale, but that the 'biodiversity benefits' provide a measure of planning gain.
So what makes a good pond? Shallow irregular and embayed margins, a variety of depths, clean pollution free water and a range of aquatic, marginal and bankside vegetation and almost above all else, plenty of light. Aquatic plants in which aquatic creatures live require light if they are to thrive. Some shade on the north side provides for habitat variety, but let the sun in on the south side if you want a thriving biodiverse pond rich in frogs and newts, dragonflies and a whole host of other invertebrate life.
Ponds are best in groups because wildlife can travel between them. If one pond becomes damaged, or needs maintenance, the others will hold the fort. Some ponds should dry out every few years to ensure that predatory fish do not survive. Fish feed on amphibians and a pond with fish will be lacking in newts. Similarly duck ponds seldom have much in the way of smaller wildlife. If you can, keep the ducks and fish away.
However, the major requirement of a good pond is good management. Ponds were made by man for a purpose and managed accordingly. This means that most ponds are unnatural, and left to themselves, nature soon takes over converting deep pools to shallow pools which in turn become filled with reeds and reedmace, then by willows and finally silted up to the surface they become colonised with brambles and finally with trees. After perhaps only twenty years you may hardly have a pond at all.
The Environmental Project Consulting Group offer advice on ponds to all sorts of organisations from governmental bodies to private companies and from non-governmental bodies to local action groups. Our experts are at hand to survey the physical status of ponds, identify their fauna and flora and advise how best to renovate and manage old ponds. We have provided training to local Pond Wardens through the BTCV training schemes, designed ponds for golf courses and assisted many local groups to formulate their ideas for saving local ponds. |