Lakes and ponds

Digging a pond is one of the best things we can do for wildlife.

Species such as southern hawkers will quickly find a new pond.

Common, palmate and great crested newts (the UK’s largest) all live in our ponds.

What we need to do and where

Photo shows expansive still water reflecting a blue sky with pink clouds. There are reedbeds to the right of the water and mature trees in the background and to the left, as well as a large dead tree trunk coming out of the water in the left and centre. — Stover Lake, Ian Tomlinson

A great crested next hangs suspended in blurred blue-green water, The next has a bright yellow underbelly, under legs and feet, and tip of tail. The yellow is marked with dark grey splodges, the same colour as the top of its legs, back and tail, including the jagged crest that runs from the back of its head to the tip of its tail. The newt is facing towards the camera. — Great crested newt, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation

Snapshot

What wildlife-rich looks like

A wide range of lakes and ponds of different sizes and depths, all with unpolluted water. Some dry out in the summer. Plants grow in the water, helping to oxygenate it, and on the banks, providing cover and stems for dragonfly nymphs to climb up. Shallow areas allow wildlife to climb in and out. Around the edges and between ponds and lakes, areas of plants, scrub and rocks allow wildlife to disperse.

Devon Special Species include:

Mammals: Beaver, water vole, otter

Insects: Norfolk hawker, scarce blue-tailed damselfly, scarce chaser

Amphibians: Common toad, great crested newt

Plants: Strapwort

Ponds and lakes also provide food and water for lots of other Devon Special SpeciesDevon Species of Conservation Concern which have been 'shortlised' as needing particular action or attention (rather than being iconic species). More, including bats and birds.

UK significance

UK Priority Habitat: No (none of Devon’s lakes are UK Priority Habitats)

Statutory irreplaceable habitats: no

Wider benefits: Water for livestock, flood control, carbon storage, recreation and tourism, landscape.

1. About

Lakes and ponds include natural and man-made standing waters, from large lakes and reservoirs to village ponds, garden ponds, dew ponds and bog pools.

Ponds can be created in lots of different ways including by meandering rivers, eroding glaciers or by a tree falling over and leaving the root pit exposed. They can also be manmade, in gardens and village greens, or by landowners for fishing, shooting, livestock watering, aesthetic or amenity purposes. They come in all shapes and sizes, with different water depths from small dips in the ground with a few centimetres of water to deep pools. They can also be short-lived, being created and filled in over a cycle of a few years, or they can be very stable; bog pools do not change much over thousands of years.

Reservoirs and large lakes are important for wintering wildfowl and for breeding wildfowl and waders. Ponds and small lakes provide important breeding and feeding sites for amphibians and reptiles, such as frogs, toads, newts and grass snakes, and for invertebrates such as damselflies, dragonflies and water beetles. Invertebrates are an important food source for bats and birds, especially during prolonged dry weather conditions in late spring and summer.

Some large lakes in Devon include are designated as SSSIs and include Slapton Ley (where the Devon Special Species strapwort is found), Stover Lake, Bystock Pools on the Pebblebed Heaths and Roadford Lake.

Ponds are often created through quarrying. The Bovey Basin and Lee Moor are all strongholds for ponds with populations of dragonflies and great crested newts happily living in what would appear to be totally unsuitable ponds in the Bovey Basin clay quarries.

Lakes and ponds also have great socio-economic value. They store organic carbon in sediments, help in natural flood management by temporarily storing water, and they provide recreation, tourism and wellbeing benefits. Many are also of historic and cultural significance.

Health check

To be added before final publication of the LNRS to ensure that the most up to date information is used from NE and DBRCDevon Biodiversity Records Centre More.  

There is very little data on the condition of Devon’s ponds and lakes.

SSSISite of Special Scientific Interest More and CWSCounty Wildlife Site More data to be added before final publication.

Key pressures and opportunities

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Pollution

Nutrient enrichment caused by organic and inorganic fertilisers and nitrogen-rich gases (cultural eutrophicationWhen too many nutrients (like those found in fertilisers or sewage) enter the water, causing lots of algae to grow. More) damages plant and animal communities and results in a loss of biodiversity.

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Changes in land use

Changes in land-cover can lead to increased siltation and the release of nutrients into the water body, causing increased eutrophication. Removal of waterside vegetation and reedswamp is damaging as they act as barriers to particulate matter and absorb nutrients.

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Release of non-native plants and animals

The American signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) eats large amounts of aquatic vegetation, disrupting the ecological balance of some water bodies. It has also spread crayfish plague, eliminating many populations of our native crayfish. Alpine newts (Ichthyosaura alpestris) are also of high concern as they are known carriers of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which affects amphibians. New Zealand pigmyweed (Crassula helmsii), floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) and parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) are of particular concern as they spread very quickly and crowd out other plants.

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Loss and isolation of habitat

Infilling of farm ponds and the end of traditional use of dew ponds has led to a reduction in the number of ponds in the countryside. It has also made the remaining ponds more isolated so less mobile species find them hard to colonise. Siltation also accounts for the loss of many ponds.

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Water level maintenance and abstraction

Abstraction for drinking water, irrigation or industry can depress water levels, increase water retention time and reduce flushing rate. It can also exacerbate nutrient enrichment, cause deterioration of marginal vegetation and cause shallow lakes to dry out. On coastal sites, increased salinity may result.

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Public perception and vandalism

Open water with artificial banks, small areas of reedbed and other marginal vegetation can all be perceived as lacking any substantial biodiversity value, particularly because their associated wildlife is typically elusive. This often leads to water bodies being seen as a place to dump rubbish.

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Recreational and sporting use

This use can create disturbance. Marginal vegetation may suffer from trampling and the action of boat hulls and propellers destroys aquatic plants and stirs up sediments, contributing to enrichment and encouraging the growth of algae. The construction of marinas and other leisure facilities may destroy valuable habitat and can lead to increased pollution.

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Manipulation of fish stocks

Introduction of fish or removal of predators leads to the loss of natural fish populations and may affect plant and invertebrateAn animal that doesn't have a backbone, such as insects, spiders, worms, crabs and slugs. More communities. Heavy stocking of bottom-feeding fish such as carp (Cyprinus carpio) can cause turbidityThe amount of suspended particles carried in the water. More and accelerate the release of nutrients from sediments. This has caused major problems of enrichment in some eutrophic water bodies.

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Beavers

The reintroduction of beavers will create more ponds, so could be an opportunity for all species that depend on ponds.

2. What we need to do and where

Priority

Better (wildlife-rich) and more clusters of ponds and lakes that are connected to a network of habitats across the county, benefiting Devon Special Species and achieving wider benefits such as carbon capture, water resilience and health and wellbeing.

For more detailed information and advice see Find out more below.

Actions for all lakes and ponds

Manage and create ponds, lakes and their surroundings for wildlife

De-silt ponds when needed and manage vegetation to ensure there is always some open water. Remove vegetation sensitively to avoid impacts on invertebrates.
Reduce pollution (agricultural run-off, sewage, pesticides)
Control and where possible eradicate invasive species such as New Zealand pigmyweed, floating pennywort and parrot’s feather.
Avoid stocking fish in smaller ponds. In lakes ensure sensitive fish stocking and management to avoid predation, turbidity and nutrient release.
Create new ponds and lakes wherever possible following best practice guidance on factors such as depths and location.

Survey, research and awareness

Survey, map and monitor pond and lake condition (including e-DNA monitoring for great crested newts).
Increase awareness of the importance of ponds and how to manage them, including biosecurity measures.

Other relevant actions

More detailed actions for Devon Special Species and Wider themes are set out on other LNRS pages. Follow the links below:

Where to focus action

High Opportunity Areas: Lakes and ponds (existing). See Mapping for the LNRS Viewer. Note that this layer will not include all lakes and ponds but all should be considered as High Opportunity Areas.

Actions should be targeted to the Great Crested Newt Zones mapped as Species Opportunity Areas.

3. Inspiration

This section will be finalised following public consultation. Please share any case studies and places to visit as well as high quality photos. A few ideas are given below.