Lake construction reaches the half way point

Monday 10, May 2010

The continuing good weather has allowed the lake we are building at Aisle Valley Farm to continue to take shape quickly.  Half of the area of the lake has now been excavated and the majority of the spoil created from the excavations is being loaded and hauled away from Great Witchingham. 

Through our network of contacts we have found a local home for 2500 tonnes of the clay that is being excavated – to be re-used for another construction project. This has resulted in less road miles being travelled to haul the clay away and an overall reduction in the Carbon Footprint of the project.

The lake is being developed to create a diverse habitat for both plant and wildlife to flourish and it is hoped that a number of new species will take up residence in the area once the lake is completed.  Our team of Ecologists have identified that both otters and watervoles are present within the nearby stream, therefore the lake is being designed to include special features which will encourage these species to thrive. These include steep sided banks around one side of the island to encourage watervoles to burrow into the banks as they build their new homes.  The island will also offer a sanctuary for nesting birds looking to hatch their chicks in an area that is surrounded by deep water out of reach of ground predators. 

For more information about the earlier stages of this project, please click here