Ponds and Culvert

There are 7 ponds in Kingsmead; all are different and all are really important, as well as providing us with a green and pleasant back-drop to our lives.  We have created a management plan for the ponds in Kingsmead with a view to preserving them for all to enjoy.  These are:

  • Bickerton Way Pond
  • Coronet Way Pond
  • Dukes Way Duck Pond
  • Dukes Way Small Pond
  • Moor Park Way Top Pond
  • Moor Park Way Bottom Pond
  • Sluice Pond (by Fisherman’s Wharf)

We currently have a yearly maintenance program for each pond with local wetland specialists Caddis Ltd based in Mobberley.
As a general rule we leave a buffer strip of vegetation around the edges of each pond to form a wildlife corridor and provide a natural barrier so small children are discouraged from going near the pond edges. We do, however, tidy this up biannually to remove large bushy growth and brambles.

Pond 2    River 1

Update 31st March 2017
The bird boxes and duck houses have now been installed.

Update 18th January 2017
Bird Boxes and Duck Houses
We will be installing five bird boxes within the woodland on Moor Park together with two duck houses, one on the lower pond on Moor Park and one on the large pond in Dukes Way:

  • Supply and install 5 bird boxes within the woodland on Moor Park.
  • Supply and install two duck boxes. One large floating duck island will be installed on Dukes Way and a medium one on Moor Park lower pond, both duck boxes have three entrances and are subdivided internally into three separate compartments.
  • They will both be anchored with concrete blocks and not tethered to the bank as this may attract problems with people messing with them.
  • Finally let nature take its course!

Update September 2016
The following works were approved at the parish council meeting held 19th September 2016:

Duke’s Way Small PondA small seasonal pond which dries in summer.

Annual Autumn Management
Cut back vegetation surrounding the pond to 1meter from the water level. Vegetation to be cut to ground level.

  • A proportion of the birch and alder regeneration to be left and cut on a 3 year cycle to create habitat enhancement and an element of shelter and screening.

Suckering and low level pruning to be carried out on the surrounding trees as required

Duck PondA larger and permanent pond offering habitat and recreational benefits to local residents

Annual Autumn Management

  • Cut back vegetation surrounding the pond to 1meter from the water level. Vegetation to be cut to ground level.
  • The dogwood to be cut on a 3 year cycle to create habitat enhancement and an element of shelter and screening and ensure that the area doesn’t become too overgrown.
  • Suckering and low level pruning to be carried out on the surrounding trees as required, focusing on the willow and alder suckering and regeneration.
  • Some bramble around edges seen as beneficial not only from habitat perspective but also as a natural deterrent from people entering the pond.

Settlement/Sluice Pond

Annual Autumn Management – Annual De-Silt

Rather than leaving the sediment to build up over extended periods of time on the first de-silt operation we could create a smaller silt trap at the head of the pond. This could then be excavated on an annual basis. This approach would help spread cost of the operation going forward, but if not more importantly would reduce the significant disturbance to local residents and wildlife that a major de-silt operation will cause.

  • Cut back vegetation surrounding the pond to 1meter from the water level. Vegetation to be cut to ground level.
  • Suckering and low level pruning to be carried out on the surrounding trees as required.
  • Check culvert, remove debris and silt from in front and behind culvert debris screens.
  • De-silt the entry silt trap.

Bickerton Ways PondA small seasonal pond offering habitat benefits and assisting with drainage of nearby grassed area

Annual Autumn Management

  • Flail bramble on the banks and any other aggressive weeds, leaving a habitat fringe, trim back trees and shrubs as required.

Moor Park Road Pond 1A small pond offering habitat and amenity benefit

Annual Autumn Management

  • Flail bramble and scrub on the near bank and any other aggressive weeds, leaving a habitat fringe of 1 meter where possible to the water’s edge.
  • Cut and remove regenerating willow and sallow from around the far bank/water’s edge, stump treat cut vegetation. Take care to leave screening and vegetation higher up far bank.

Moor Park Road Pond 2A small seasonal pond.

Annual Autumn Management
Flail bramble and scrub around the bank edges, leaving a habitat fringe of 1 meter where possible to the water’s edge.

Coronet  PondA small pond offering habitat and high amenity benefit however now suffering from an infestation of non-native invasive weeds, we suggest that these are targeted twice a year to try and reduce/eradicate them from the pond.

Annual Autumn and Spring Management

  • Remove all invasive weed, Parrots Feather and crassula.
  • Removal by hand pulling/raking, all material removed to be treated with appropriate herbicide prior to removal from site, all protective clothing to be bagged for decontamination.

Update August 2016
Coronet pond

  • Remove a large section of Bull rush leaving a group in the centre of the pond.
  • The Rush will be hand pulled and removed from site.
  • There is a small selection of self seeded trees which need removing from the banks.
  • Remove any litter from within and around the pond.
  • Carry out weed control on the paved area around the pond.
  • As discussed the pond will benefit from this on and annual bases.
  • Finally leave the area neat and tidy

Update June 2016
Duke’s Way Small Pond – A small seasonal pond which dries in summer.

Annual Autumn Management

  • Cut back vegetation surrounding the pond to 1 meter from the water level. Vegetation to be cut to ground level.
  • A proportion of the birch and alder regeneration to be left and cut on a 3 year cycle to create habitat enhancement and an element of shelter and screening.
  • Suckering and low level pruning to be carried out on the surrounding trees as required.

Annual Summer Management

  • Remove deadwood from the dry pond and stack in habitat piles above the water mark and de-litter.
  • If habitat piles migrate back into the pond through play activity, then in subsequent summer visits deadwood to be removed from site.
  • Inspection of trees and any limbs seen as unsafe removed.

Dukes Way Duck Pond – A larger and permanent pond offering habitat and recreational benefits to local residents Annual Autumn Management

  • Cut back vegetation surrounding the pond to 1 meter from the water level. Vegetation to be cut to ground level.
  • The dogwood to be cut on a 3 year cycle to create habitat enhancement and an element of shelter and screening and ensure that the area doesn’t become too overgrown.
  • Suckering and low level pruning to be carried out on the surrounding trees as required, focusing on the willow and alder suckering and regeneration.
  • Some bramble around edges seen as beneficial not only from habitat perspective but also as a natural deterrent from people entering the pond.

Annual Summer Management

  • Litter picking around the water’s edge and deadwood removal.
  • Annual assessment of water level and sludge/sediment deposits.
  • Inspection of trees and any limbs seen as unsafe removed.

Sluice Pond
An Important settlement pond for the main waterway running through Kingsmead before entering the Weaver through a culvert. Critical that the culvert remains clear and sediment in the settlement pool is managed to prevent upstream drainage problems and/or flooding over the surrounding banks and footpaths. From site observations  it is likely that this pond hasn’t been de-silted for 10 to 15 years or even since the estate was created. Management to be agreed later in year.

Bickerton Way Pond– A small seasonal pond offering habitat benefits and assisting with drainage of nearby grassed area

Annual Autumn Management

  • Flail bramble on the banks and any other aggressive weeds, leaving a habitat fringe, trim back trees and shrubs as required.

Moor Park Way Bottom Pond – A medium pond offering habitat and amenity benefit

Annual Autumn Management

  • Flail bramble and scrub on the near bank and any other aggressive weeds, leaving a habitat fringe of 1 meter where possible to the water’s edge.
  • Cut and remove regenerating willow and sallow from around the far bank/water’s edge, stump treat cut vegetation. Take care to leave screening and vegetation higher up far bank.

Moor Park Road Top Pond – A small seasonal pond.

Annual Autumn Management

  • Flail bramble and scrub around the bank edges, leaving a habitat fringe of 1 meter where possible to the water’s edge.

Annual Summer Management

  • Remove deadwood from the dry pond and stack in habitat piles above the water mark and de-litter.
  • Reduce and if possible remove willow stumps.
  • Mini dredge where possible and grade out spoil around the banks, to increase standing water and to improve water quality.
  • Inspection of trees and any limbs seen as unsafe removed.

Coronet Pond – A medium pond offering habitat and high amenity benefit however now suffering from an infestation of non-native invasive weeds, we suggest that these are targeted twice a year to try and reduce/eradicate them from the pond.

Annual Autumn and Spring Management

  • Remove all invasive weed, Parrots Feather and Crassula.
  • Removal by hand pulling/raking, all material removed to be treated with appropriate herbicide prior to removal from site, all protective clothing to be bagged for decontamination.

Update January 2015
After cleaning out Coronet pond, the pond is filling naturally and will recover nicely over the summer; it is already looking much better. The works were completed in winter to ensure most pond life had flown/moved away, had died or would be in hibernation at the bottom.  After cleaning out, the banks have been put back as before and sown with appropriate wild flower seed.  A buffer wildlife strip of 1.5m will be left unmown (as previously) around the unpaved edge for plants and insect life. The crazy paving has been tidied up and weeded.

Our policy to leave buffer strips around the ponds is for the following reasons.
1. They provide a natural and effective barrier to prevent small children (and adults) from falling in since the edges are clearly defined by dense undergrowth.  In the past, when we have cut this away, we have been asked to fence in the ponds.
2. As advised by The Freshwater Habitats Trust, this buffer strip forms a simple but effective way to provide a safe haven for fresh water wildlife.

We endeavour to keep the buffer zones contained to a 1.5 metre strip around the pond and not expanding over the grassed areas. Please note that this pond contains the non-native invasive weeds called Crassula and Parrots Feather from New Zealand; most likely introduced by a well-meaning resident releasing fish into the pond. The disposal of  weeds are strictly regulated by DEFRA to prevent their spread, and the cost of cleaning out the pond was high due to strict rules regulating waste disposal. We will never be able to get rid of these species from the pond and will have to clean it regularly; every three years or so.  For more information see the following link.
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/nonnativespecies/checkcleandry/documents/species-guide.pdf
We hope you like the information boards by Dukes Way and Coronet ponds designed by the children of Year 6 at Kingsmead Primary school in 2015.  We think the children have done a wonderful job for us.
In 2015, we tidied up a few of the other ponds, but no major de-silting work is planned until 2016. Ponds due for a tidy-up by Jim’s Mowing are Dukes Way and Moor Park Way (completed July 2015).  Bickerton pond was rejuvenated by local wetland specialist company Caddis Ltd with a few selected trees planted in the surrounding area in the Autumn.

Latest plans….

We are currently looking to procure an annual maintenance plan which will look after all our ponds in the same manner as the general landscaping. This hasn’t been easy as ponds are a specialist area, however, we hope to have this in place for 2016.

ponds