Impact of the work and the future

As well as the obvious recreational and biodiversity aspects of keeping the pond, the complete water management system would be ideally suited to providing and educational site for local schools to visit and learn from, with its basis in local industrial history through to how water can be used for power in the present day.  The project would also be an ideal community and school involvement scheme where they can learn and get involved with erosion protection, sediment management and the ecological and bio-diversity benefits of native species to ecosystems.

As long as a safe position can be found, a dipping pond could be created where school groups can assess the improvements made to the pond by collecting samples and identifying invertebrates present at regular stages through the project as well as insect populations that will use the high flower margins as habitat.

There are a multitude of habitats that will benefit from the projects. The current silt levels and the lack of bio-diversity around the margins limit the life both in and around the ponds. Once completely silted it is unlikely that even wildfowl will occupy which would remove any diversity at all.

By increasing the water depth and improving vegetation and flow it is hoped that a number of species will be reintroduced including butterflies to fish and invertebrates within the pond itself.

There is also general interest in refurbishment of any upstream water catchment post the flooding in recent years.  Mill ponds above Todmorden and Hebden Bridge are all being looked at with a view to increasing the amount of water that can be held.