Legacy Habitat Management have a wealth of experience in creating all types of ponds and water bodies for habitat creation, restoration, feeding and breeding grounds, or for traditional cattle drinking facilities on farmlands.
Having worked with a wide range of clients we have created habitat ponds as part of larger mitigation projects, mimicking the natural profile of existing water bodies. We have experience of using both artificial pond lining materials and more traditional methods such as puddled clay and stone linings as used in dew ponds.
All of our machine operators hold relevant plant certificates and have knowledge of working in sensitive environments such as SSSI's and where there may be a presence of protected flora and fauna.
Ponds and wetlands provide crucial habitat and breeding grounds for many of the UK's diverse aquatic, semi-aquatic, plant and insect species. Much of this important habitat has been lost in recent years due to development, falling water tables, invasive species, or have simply become polluted due to poor management and chemical run-off from intensive agriculture and industry.
There are projects in place, such as the Million Ponds Project to support the reversal of such decline in these habitats by creating more ponds throughout the UK. There may also be implications for developers wishing to carry out ground works in the vicinity of ponds and wetlands. Many of the legal acts in place to protect species such as the Great Crested Newt make it an offence to damage, destroy or interfere with their habitat. It may, therefore be necessary to create additional pond habitat under licence to mitigate against habitat loss.
Dew ponds are traditionally built on upland, limestone, agricultural grounds where natural water sources are sparse, to provide drinking water for cattle. They are a common part of the agricultural landscape in areas of Derbyshire and Yorkshire.
