Key Points:
- Broadwater Lake is one of only two lakes in the Colne Valley (the
other being Stockers Lake) where wildlife is a 'priority user'. It
is a major factor in the designation of the Mid Colne Valley as a
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
- Broadwater Lake provides valuable habitat for nationally
important numbers of wintering birds.
- Dredging and construction activities over winter would create
wholly unacceptable levels of disturbance to resident and wintering
bird populations.
- Contrary to the findings of the commissioned wildlife surveys,
Broadwater is a uniquely prolific location for the European Eel, a
species assessed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, and a
Natural England Priority Species. The lake has produced very large
eels for over 30 years and continues to do so today.
- Eels migrate to breed at sea, and the lake's proximity to the
River Colne makes it a valuable source of breeding-age eels.
- Any dredging activity is highly likely to destroy the feeding,
resting and hibernation habitat of the lake's Eel population,
further threatening a Critically Endangered species.
- Dredging will also highly likely release stored nutrients into
the water column, worsening the already-annual severe blooms of
blue-green algae (poisonous to humans), leading to periodic and
possibly lengthy closure to human activity in spring and
summer.
On reaching 20 signatures it may be considered in conjunction with the relevant live planning application at an upcoming Committee meeting. The Council's Democratic Services Team will be in touch with the lead petitioner to advise and take this petition forward accordingly.
This ePetition ran from 30/11/2023 to 31/12/2023 and has now finished.
167 people signed this ePetition.