5. Glen Faba Reedbed Creation
Theme: Ecology and morphology
Objective:
- Improve riverine and riparian habitat
Project description
This project aimed to create a new area of reedbed at the northern end of Glen Faba Lake in the Lee Valley Regional Park.
Glen Faba is a Local Wildlife Site that is a key roosting, feeding and refuge site for wintering wildfowl including Gadwall, Wigeon, Pochard and Coot.
It was identified as being in need of restoration work in 2013 including reedbed creation, pond creation, scrub clearance and ditch management.
As it is a relatively recent gravel pit, the shoreline vegetation has yet to become as wooded as adjacent pits and it is important to try to maintain this open wetland habitat through bankside tree management.
Funding was secured in 2018 through an S106 agreement for an adjacent development, to create a new reedbed on the north of Glen Faba lake. The work took place in summer 2019. First a line of scrub was removed from the banks and then the base of the new reedbed was formed by pushing material into the lake edge. This was then planted with Common Reed and fenced to prevent grazing by wildfowl. Overall 0.2 ha of priority reedbed habitat was created through the project.
Ongoing tree management around the shores of the lake is reuqired to prevent successional vegetation from taking over the open reedbed habitat.
Project lead: Lea Valley Regional Park Authority
Funding source: Section 106 planning obligations
Project end: May 2019
Contact for more information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
