Environment

Junction Canal

Newt Habitat
The area at the bottom of the existing Hanbury locks and across the field directly in front of the Rugby Club was discovered to be newt habitat so all the work carried out in this area has been done under an Natural England licence. The section of pound below the locks has been retained where possible and fish inhibited from entering the section by installing a bund between the canal channel and old pound.

Additional habitat for newts has been specifically designed between the visitor gateway site and canal in front of the Rugby club; this includes hibernating places a pond.

Reptile Habitat
A new area specifically designed to benefit reptiles, north of the canal in front of the Rugby Club has also been installed. This includes ponds, a bank to bask on and also a large hibernating area.

Planting
Trees and shrubs will be planted to replace those trees removed during the clearance of land for the construction but also to enhance the local environment around the canal. New canal side hedgerows will be established and many of them planted by local school children.

Habitat Boxes
Habitat boxes for both birds and bats will be built and installed along the line of the new canal and on existing mature trees near the canal corridor.

Barge Canal

Reed Margin
A reed margin will remain in the canal after dredging with approximately 2 metres of reed margin on the offside and 1 metre on the towpath side apart from where mooring and boat waiting areas are to be created.

Reedbed, Coney Meadow
In order to compensate for the loss of reed habitat in the canal, the restoration had created a 2.5 hectare reedbed between Droitwich and Salwarpe adjacent to the canal. Coney Meadow was planted during 2008 with labour from contractors and volunteers. The site is establishing well with nesting water birds in the first season.

Otter Holt
Artificial holts will be installed at points along the Barge Canal with one already constructed at Coney Meadow to offer a habitat and a resting place for Otters.

Hawford Fields
Running alongside the canal at Hawford, the canal restoration will enhance the habitat diversity of 2 fields by creating fish refuge points on the river edges and planting native trees and shrubs.