Water Vole

The water vole is found throughout Britain although it is confined mainly to lowland areas near water. Since April 2008 water voles have received full protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), which makes it an offence to damage/destroy a place of water vole shelter/protection and to disturb a water vole while in a place of shelter. Water vole are also a UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) priority species having suffered dramatic population declines over recent decades.

Water voles typically inhabit water courses with well vegetated banks which offer good cover for their burrows and provide a foraging resource. Burrows can extend up to 5m into banks from the water's edge. Therefore, even when direct impacts to water courses are not proposed, impacts can result if development works occur in close proximity. Often minor development impacts such as the construction of drainage headwalls or the implementation of new stream side management can be overlooked and surveys to establish the presence or absence of this species are therefore important.

ECOSA water vole surveys are aimed at establishing presence, population status and to identify key areas of habitat. Survey techniques involve the identification of field signs associated with these species, mainly through methodical surveys of water courses.

Water vole surveys can be carried out at any time of year but are normally carried out between April and October when animals are most active. The peak in the survey season is September when population levels are high following the summer breeding season.