Beach Tree Farm Great Crested Newt Ponds, Reagil

Pond Creation & Restoration at Cumbria Wildlife Trust

As the principal contractor, we undertook the creation of three new ponds and the restoration of an existing pond, aimed at enhancing habitats for great crested newts (GCNs). These works were designed to meet the specific ecological requirements of GCNs, providing them with ideal breeding and display conditions.

Key Works Undertaken:

• Creation of Three New Ponds: We established three ponds with surface areas ranging between 150m² and 1000m², carefully designed to suit GCN breeding preferences.

• Restoration of Existing Pond: The banks of an existing pond were regraded to achieve more suitable bank gradients, improving both the pond’s ecological functionality and its visual appeal.

• Gradients and Depths: The banks of the ponds were graded to a ratio of 1:10 or ideally 1:20, providing a range of depths across the pond for habitat diversity, with maximum central depth carefully designed up to 1m (exceptionally up to 2.5m for the largest pond).

• Habitat Design: The ponds feature both aquatic vegetation to support egg-laying and open, less vegetated areas to enable adult males to display clearly to females, enhancing breeding success.

These measures will create a diverse and sustainable environment that supports the great crested newts’ lifecycle, and improve overall biodiversity in the area.