reintroduction of water voles at batford springs 

An Exciting Conservation Project in Harpenden 

Harpenden Town Council has released 200 water voles in the Upper River Lea, a project which has taken rigorous planning over the last three years and reintroduces this important species to Batford Springs Local Nature Reserve after 40 years.

Water Voles are incredible ecosystem engineers bringing huge benefits to waterways and a wide array of flora and fauna. They manage rivers and streams by foraging and burrowing to increase biodiversity. They eat coarse dominant grasses like sedges and rush, opening gaps for more delicate waterway plants to establish. With greater floristic diversity, more bees, butterflies and pollinators will return to the river, and insects, birds, bats and mammals will follow. When a water vole abandons one of their burrows, new critters will move in to raise their young, like shrews, which in turn improve the health of the nearby habitats. 

Water voles were once common in England’s rivers and streams including at Batford Springs. Sadly, they have been in decline for over 40 years due to habitat loss and the invasive mink.

Harpenden Town Council, together with dedicated volunteers at Batford Springs, released the Water Voles following a carefully managed process last week.

Cllr Kirsti Wenn, Mayor of Harpenden said, “It is fantastic to be part of this important step in the reintroduction of water voles, another incredible addition to Batford Springs Local Nature Reserve. It has been a real pleasure to watch this conservation project, from its infancy to the release of our new residents, and I can’t wait to see how the water voles will help the Town Council continue to improve the environment and local ecosystem. Batford Springs Local Nature Reserve is not only a beautiful green space, but it is the home of hugely important habitats and we are immensely proud of all we have achieved here.”

Keys to success of this important conservation project:

• Batford Springs Local Nature Reserve, offers a kilometre of river which is ideal for water voles and forms a strong base for their reintroduction.
• A 125m fence was installed creating a protective barrier around key habitats, allowing the water voles to establish themselves in a secure environment. The fence was designed to blend in with the natural surroundings, ensuring it does not disrupt the landscape's beauty.
• A new pond was created within the protected area. This pond will be a vital resource for the water voles, providing them with the water and vegetation they need to thrive. The pond's design mimics natural wetland environments, with gently sloping banks, abundant aquatic plants, and varied depths to support a rich diversity of life.
• Native vegetation has been planted around the pond and along the riverbanks - another critical component of the project. By restoring native plants, the project recreate the dense, tangled riverbank habitats that water voles prefer, offering them shelter from predators and a steady supply of food, including reeds, sedges, and other aquatic plants that are essential to their diet.
• Mink Monitoring: The Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust installed a mink raft to record and capture mink found on site, to determine presence and suitability for voles. There has been no recordings of Mink for two years indicating good opportunity for voles to thrive.
• New land has been acquired by the Town Council to further enhance the habitat and provide refuge for Water Voles, this also benefits the Town as the Reserve will expand by a third.
• The Town Council is working in collaboration with local landholders across the Upper Lea: farmers and estate owners have helped to identify suitable release sites and provided knowledge and tools needed to maintain the habitats and monitor the Water Vole population.

Read our press release in full including why we're releasing the watervoles