Wetland creation takes shape for Hertfordshire reservoir

Hilfield Park Reservoir, a well-known birding site in Hertfordshire, is to benefit from the creation of an exciting new wetland.

Land at the reservoir has been reshaped to hold reedbeds and form lagoons. Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust called it a "rare and diverse habitat" and an important haven close to urban areas.

Work on the site, owned by Affinity Water, started in November and took a year to plan. Josh Kalms, people and wildlife officer at the trust, said it would "provide hope for the future" and had "transformed" the area.

Black-necked Grebe is one of the more notable breeding birds at Hilfield Park Reservoir (Angelo Formentin).

Reshaping wetlands

"We've reshaped the ground to allow bigger, better and more connected reedbeds to form, created vast lengths of all-important shallow margins, formed lagoons, pushed invasive trees into the water to create ample submerged woody habitat and have pollarded trees to generate supercharged sunlit reservoir margins," Kalms added.

"This project has transformed this area, creating a better connected, rare and diverse suite of habitats where wildlife will thrive."

Alex Sage, biodiversity project manager at Affinity Water, added: "We have seen significant changes over the years at Hilfield as a direct result of new management techniques, including increased numbers and species of dragonfly and the re-emergence of nationally threatened plant species."

More information on Hilfield Park Reservoir can be found on the trust's website.