North West Lowlands Water Vole Project

The North West Lowland Water Vole Project is the culmination of 4 years work at a regional level under the guidance of the Water for Wildlife Programme. Early on the partners all agreed that a key issue was the status of the Water Vole in the North West.

The Local Biodiversity Managers from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and North Merseyside joined the partnership and working with local Wildlife Trusts, and the Environment Agency produced two successful grant proposals One to SITA, Enriching Nature fund and one to the Esmee Fairbairne Trust. Match funding came from UU and the 10 districts of Greater Manchester. In Cheshire Halton BC, Macclesfield BC and the Cheshire Regional Biodiversity Partnership are all contributing to the project costs.

The funding supports two dedicated project officers, Andrea Powell based at Cheshire Wildlife Trust and Katie Milburn based at the Wildlife Trusts for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside. Andrea and Katie joined the project at the beginning of its third year in 2010 and will be building on the work of the previous project officers to:

• conduct and coordinate surveys across the region with the support of volunteers, to assess the current status of water voles in the project area
• develop landscape and habitat management strategies that will encourage the survival and expansion of existing water vole populations
• promote conservation of the water vole and offer advice on practical management of suitable wetland habitat and waterways
• identify and record American mink, a voracious predator of water voles

Water Vole Surveys
A total of 471 sites have been surveyed for water vole since the start of the project in April 2008. Across the entire project area, water voles were confirmed to be present at 40% of sites surveyed and potentially present at a further 14% of sites, where inconclusive or insufficient survey signs were identified. By comparing the survey results with historical records, it is estimated that water voles have been lost from 45% of previously occupied sites over the last 10 years. Link to Water Vole Field Signs.

However, the survey findings were not all bad. Mosslands and agricultural ditches were found to be valuable habitat and potentially provide an important refuge from mink predation, where the two species are found to co-exist. Key colonies were identified within the Alt & Crossens and Douglas river catchments, on the West Lancashire & North Merseyside Agricultural Plain, with above average numbers recorded on agricultural drainage ditches and sections of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, suggesting this region is of national importance for the conservation of water voles. Link to Water Vole Ecology.

During 2010 and 2011 Andrea will be concentrating on filling in the gaps and monitoring key areas to check how the populations are faring after the hard winter we had in 2009. She will also be looking for opportunities to carry out conservation works to help halt the decline and secure the future for water voles in the north west.

The project would like to thank all the volunteers and individuals who have contributed their time and effort so far!