The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Ref the water levels at Nth Killingholme Reserve. Good to see we are entering the annual autumn equinoctial tide sequence with the expected and usual full moan (sorry – moon) phase of waders and high water levels debate.
It is currently impossible to keep the NK Pits reserve at optimum levels because of silting in the Haven/ Humber and the Control Sluice being in a poor state of repair. Lincs Wildlife Trust are only tenants on the site and cannot afford to spend tens of thousands of pounds on infrastructure without any security of tenure. The owners (Able UK), the Environment Agency, the Internal Drainage Board and Natural England have had numerous meetings over recent years to see how the problem could be resolved, but nothing has been done as it is very difficult to get any one agency to admit liability.
Currently we have one very experienced volunteer ( who has suffered considerable ill health recently) keeping a watch on water levels who then informs another volunteer (with a demanding full time job and young family) try to open and close the sluice as and when required. We know this is only a part solution but the volunteers have given it a very good go, but we are not always available to catch the critical tides on a daily basis as has been done in the past.
As we are plagued by the increasing silting/sluice issue, the volunteers have come up with a new initiative, which is why the water was high in mid-August. The idea was to open up the sluice at the start of autumn equinoctial high tide sequence (11th – 15th August) to allow the very high tide (7.79 M A.O.D) flood water in, raising up the level. Then on the falling tide drain out the water, as on the spring tides the Humber level drops sufficiently to create scour in the linking Haven channel with the force of the water leaving the NK Pits. This has worked well and has started to flush out the silt in the Haven and the sluice. An example of great thought and initiative from the volunteers.
This flooding also brought in a huge amount of new ‘food’ during that time which was evident by the increase in wader activity, but the downside was it put the water level of the Reserve up by as much as five inches in the first few days of the high tide sequence with the sluice open. As the high tide sequence decreased in height (post 16th August) the sluice was closed off, the reserve was at “level 3” which is considered around the optimum for the overall SSSI wildlife ‘favourable condition’ for that time of year.
Heavy rain then subsequently arrived, raising levels above the optimum, but we have no way of addressing the problem efficiently as the sluice silts up very quickly and without the ability to carry out the flushing over a period of days, the water is slow to leave.
Over a decade ago the levels were much easier to manage. The water level could be lowered by 4 inches on one falling tide, now the sluice would need to be open on 5 to 6 consecutive tides to achieve the same amount. The days when the sluice could be opened and closed to lower the level on a daily or twice daily basis are over; the only long term solution is to deal with the expensive infrastructure/de-silting as mentioned above.
The volunteers are putting a lot of time and commitment to do the very best they can but there will be times when reserve water levels are impossible to manage quickly. However there are now no more plans to flood the site from the river, will try and bring the water levels down as quickly as possible, subject to silting and rainfall, to provide good wader conditions. Unfortunately the very high tides due in 9 days’ time may well dump a load more silt in the Haven channel.
It is a shame that we are still having to respond and explain complex management problems to such a very critical group of people who cannot bother to make enquiries in a pleasant and civilised manner without resorting to demoralising snide comments or huge BLOCK CAPITALS (really Colin – do you have to?), who only turn up to do their birding, seem to think nature reserve management is just a simple pastime yet still contribute nothing to help with the management of the reserves.
If anyone would like to buy the site off Able UK, get all the necessary permissions and licences in place from the various Statutory Authorities and then spend £100K+ on the water control structures and have a budget of several thousand pounds a year for de-silting I will not stand in your way. If not, you will have to put up with our best efforts – as poor as that may appear to those who know so much more than we do.
Dam – nearly made it to the end without ranting, but honestly, some of the contributors to this post really should know better…………… Big thanks to those of you with the supportive and more open-minded comments – it means a lot.

Dave Bromwich
Head of Nature Reserves

I am absolutely assured by LWT that this site will not be built on as it has a special protection over and above SSSI because of all things, those lovely worms! Hope they are right.

{Quote} Ref the water levels at Nth Killingholme Reserve. Good to see we are entering the annual autumn equinoctial tide
sequence with the expected and usual full moan (sorry –
moon) phase of waders and high water levels debate. <snip> {Quote}

Hi Dave.
Many thanks for the full frank, occasionally funny and very honest reply, despite I'm sure having much more important things to do.
Having now been enlightened as to the issues involved with moving water in and out of Killingholme on full 'moans'.
I'm sure we're all pleased we didn't bother reading too much between those lines eh! NB: I enjoyed the fully justified rant.

Thanks for all your & volunteers hard work.

Del.

_________________
Regards.
Del.

To err is human. To really louse things up takes a computer

Personally I feel a lot better now I understand the problems. Let's hope a way is eventually found to control the water levels as they used to be. Looks like we need a cash input.

I think someone said they had never seen any rarities on there. I have seen lesser yellowlegs, spoonbill, Gt white egret, curlew sand…. Bet Graham has a decent list from there.

Personally I always like to politely ask a question before having a rant.

_________________
Regards.
Del.

To err is human. To really louse things up takes a computer