HABITATS at a nature reserve have been improved and flood risk reduced thanks to a £20,000 donation.

Located at Witton-le-Wear, near Bishop Auckland, Low Barns Nature Reserve is a 50 hectare wetland site which is home to a Durham Wildlife Trust environmental education centre.

It is characterised by a series of interconnecting ponds that take water from a stream on the west of the reserve to Marston Lake, which then feeds out to the River Wear through a series of ditches and channels in the Everglades wetlands.

However, in recent years, these channels have become blocked through deposits of silk during flood conditions. This has resulted in permanently high water levels in the lake, with some islands remaining constantly underwater, removing habitats for nesting birds and other wildlife and submerging important vegetation.

But a £20,762 grant from Northumbrian Water, via County Durham Community Foundation, has helped to restore the hydrology of the site, which was previously occupied by a sand and gravel works.

The money, from legacy Landfill Tax funds, has allowed water channels to be reinstated and a new sluice to be installed to enable water levels to be maintained manually. New ponds have also been created to provide homes for otters.

The improvements will also help to reduce the risk of footpaths flooding.

Mark Richardson, Durham Wildlife Trust reserves manager, said the work would benefit wildlife and visitors alike, adding: “The wetland habitats are very important for species such as otter and the many breeding wildfowl that use the site. The project will enhance those habitats for many years to come.”