Seventy Acres Lake, River Lee Country Park
The open water habitats within the Regional Park are man made but this does not mean that they are not important places for the region’s wildlife. The gravel pits and reservoirs of much of the Regional Park are internationally recognised for their importance for numbers of wintering ducks such as Gadwall and Shoveler.
Very few of the open water sites in the Regional Park were designed with wildlife in mind. This has resulted in flooded gravel pits that are very deep, with steep sides and very little habitat suitable for important plants and animals associated with shallow margins. The reservoirs are designed to hold as much water as possible, which has also resulted in deep, steep sided waterbodies. Building new opportunities for wildlife into these sites depends on working with partners and sharing advice on what methods are successful.
The gravel pits of River Lee Country Park are easily accessed with a network of surfaced paths, bird hides and viewing screens. Winter is a good time to visit to spot the elusive Bittern and a huge number of other wintering water birds. In summer you can see Common Terns, breeding warblers and many others.