Standing Open Water

This habitat includes many natural features including woodland ponds and permanent and temporary pools such as the ephemeral ones created in tank tracks across Salisbury Plain; and many artificial features including canals, dew ponds, garden ponds and gravel pits. This was formerly an insignificant habitat in the county until large-scale gravel extraction in the north led to the development of the Cotswold Water Park, the southernmost part of which is in Wiltshire.

The value to wildlife of the Water Park is particularly important in relation to a variety of bird species (it is an important migration stopover point for many species), Otters, Water Voles, and submerged and emergent aquatic plants including Hornwort, Water Soldier, Water Mint, Starwort and Water Crowfoot; because of it’s importance to wildlife the Water Park has its own Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). The White-clawed Crayfish is known to occur in the Water Park although its numbers are declining with the advance of the introduced American Signal Crayfish.

Ephemeral water bodies on Salisbury Plain are an important habitat for invertebrates including the fairy shrimp. There are also important farm ponds, dewponds and winterbournes on Salisbury Plain where the Great Crested Newt is known to occur. Canals in Wiltshire are also important for the Great Crested Newt, as well as being an important habitat for Water Voles.

Smaller water bodies, such as ponds, are important for their amphibian populations with significant populations of Great Crested Newts, in the North Wiltshire and Swindon Areas. Also found in ponds throughout the county are Palmate Newts, Smooth Newts and Common Frogs and Common Toads.

Information taken from the Wiltshire Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP).