There are no natural ponds on the reserve but over the years five small ponds have been created in order to provide habitat for frogs, newts and pond dwelling insects. All these ponds are what are known as ‘Seasonal Ponds’ in that they tend to dry out during the summer months. It is hoped that in the future we can improve one of the ponds to retain water for the whole of the year.
During each autumn an inspection is carried out on the five small ponds, and with the help of the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust we are able to highlight maintenance tasks which should help to keep the ponds in good order. Due to the fact that the site has a network of methane extraction pipes quite close to the surface we cannot deepen the ponds and therefore they dry out quickly during dry spells. Work has been carried out on two small ponds, which were close together, to link them into a larger pond with the hope that more water is retained. All 5 ponds are cleared of debris in the Autumn, ready for the winter rains. Each year we hope that spring is not too dry and that the ponds retain enough water to enable the tadpoles to reach maturity.