Pond work at Blackleach Country Park, Walkden, Salford 05/07/20 to 12/07/20
Pond work at Blackleach Country Park, Walkden, Salford 05/07/20 to 12/07/20
Blackleach was originally an industrial site. Built in 1778 the reservoir was used to power mining machinery but later the site was used for brick making and finally as a chemical factory making Salford’s distinctive magenta dye. Industrial activity ended in 1976 and the site was abandoned to nature.
In 1987 the reservoirs were earmarked for housing but a campaign lead by local action groups saved the site and in 1992 the Salford Rangers Service began to transform Blackleach from a desolate wasteland in to its premier wildlife reserve. The Greater Manchester Ecology Unit designates Blackleach as a Site of Biological Importance because of its habitats and resident species, and 2004 English Nature declared it a Local Nature Reserve.
BCV has had a long association with Blackleach working with both the site’s first warden and developer, Annie Surtees, and later with warden Richard Marshall. This time our socially distanced and volunteer numbers restricted task involved pulling out Typha latifolia, aka reed mace, aka bull rush.
As Typha spreads it closes ponds down, reducing the area of open water available for amphibians and insects such as great crested newts and dragonflies. Blackleach is hotspot for the UK’s largest newt, the great crested newt. GCN are highly protected and should only be handled by authorised licence holders.
Photos below supplied by Caroline, common hawker by Francis. Posts now show a Like button, also feel free to leave comments.
