Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the
EC Directive on the conservation of wild birds (79/409/EEC), also known as the Birds Directive. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds, listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive and for regularly occurring migratory species.
The Lee Valley SPA is designated for internationally important numbers of breeding and wintering wildfowl, especially Gadwall and Shoveler and for wintering Bittern.
Special Protection Areas within Lee Valley Regional Park include Amwell Quarry, Rye Meads, Turnford and Cheshunt Pits and Walthamstow Reservoirs SSSIs.