Water Vole Recovery Project - Project Outcomes

Overall Project Stats Update - August 2025

Funding

Funding from Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme Capital Grant Scheme was due to end 31/03/2025 however NE extended partial funding for the project until the end of September 2025. We have also secured funding from Severn Trent Water until 31/03/2026 to continue with our mink control programme countywide and also to deliver some habitat creation.

Non-Native American Mink Control

As at 13/08/2025 we now have 134 smart rafts with traps on over 11 river catchments and covering 470km of rivers, lakes and ponds. We have removed 202 mink since we started trapping in January 2024. This is likely to have saved countless native species including water vole, birds, fish, crayfish, amphibians, other small mammals, and many others.

Habitat Creation & Enhancement

• Large (purpose built for water voles) habitat creation project over a 10ha site at Gamston Retford.

1. 9 large new ponds created with an excavated area of around 10,000m² and varying depths up to 1.5m
2. New reedbed created by excavating to 0.5m depth with a deeper channel running through the middle.
3. 760m new ditches and side channels created, up to 1.5m depth, which links up to the river at either end.

• 500m of water vole habitat enhancement along the Nottingham Canal.
• 6 new Ponds at Willey Wood Farm/Monarchs Wood
• Eight sinuous ditches (designed for water voles) totalling around 670m in the Neatholme Scrape area of the Idle Valley Nature Reserve.
• Circa 5km of ditch enhanced using coir mat installation on Isle of Axholme & North Nottinghamshire Water Level Management Board’s New EA Drain.
• 4 Ponds enhanced /restored at Brinsley Headstocks near the Brinsley Brook
• 350m of habitat enhancement / creation by excavation of silt & debris removed and re-forming of channel on Rainworth Water at Rufford Abbey Park.
• 3 Ponds enhanced / restored at Idle Valley Nature Reserve close to Idle Valley Rural Learning Centre.
• 400m of scrub clearance shoreline cleared at Neatholme Fen to enhance for water voles.

Later in the year we will have drone footage of both the completed Gamston site and the new ditches at Neatholme Scrape at IVNR but we are hoping for some actual rain to help fill the ponds and ditches first!

Water Vole Releases

Two separate water vole releases totalling 214 captive bred voles released in different parts of the Idle Valley Nature Reserve where water voles have been absent of many years. 

Outcomes against original targets

• A targeted programme of mink control across 900 hectares of wetland habitat and more than 50km of rivers to give water vole populations the chance to recover.

909 hectares of Nature Reserve wetland habitat covered, including 470km of rivers, lakes and ponds.

• 40 new ponds on NWT reserves and adjacent / suitable sites within the target areas (£73,000 plus almost £7,000 for aquatic pond plants)

Target reduced to 15 ponds (achieved) as the Gamston habitat creation project created 9 ponds on its own at a much bigger scale and quality than originally envisaged.

• Enhancements at 10 ponds 

Target reduced to 7 ponds (achieved) due to lack of time.

• Improvements to watercourse to create better feeding and nesting opportunities for water voles

Circa 5km of ditch enhanced using coir mat installation on Isle of Axholme & North Nottinghamshire Water Level Management Board’s New EA Drain

• Reedbed creation

Reedbeds have been created at Gamston habitat creation site

• Creation of a breeding and release ‘ark’ site for water voles at the Trust’s Idle Valley Nature Reserve – inside the Beaver enclosure which provides ideal habitat for water voles

Two separate water vole releases totalling 214 captive bred voles released in different parts of the Idle Valley Nature Reserve

Volunteering

Over 600 hours of volunteer time (up to the end of March) including farmers and landowners giving their time freely to support mink control, manage new habitat features and monitor the impact.

Water vole releases

Second water vole release - June 2025

On the 10th June, 2025 we successfully released the second cohort of water voles into Idle Valley Nature Reserve.

We have since observed their progress using the wildlife cameras and, while seemingly apprehensive at first, the voles have settled well into their new habitat.

First water vole release - September 2024

We are delighted to announce that the water vole release during early September 2024 went well. The 115 water voles, in family groups, have now joined the Beaver families and other wildlife in the Beaver Enclosure at Idle Valley Nature Reserve.

Pond creation at Monarch’s Wood

Monarch's Wood near Willey Wood Farm is land owned by Nottinghamshire County Council which has been improved for water voles by installing a set of 6 ponds. The location is close to a water course and therefore a safe escape from predators for the water voles.

The before drone image below was taken during July 2024 with the after photo taken following the work which had been completed in September 2024.