Work to benefit wildlife at Rotherham reserve

The Centenary Riverside Centenary Riverside Local Nature Reserve at Templeborough, near Rotherham, is the natural floodplain for the River Don and plays a part in Rotherham’s Flood Alleviation Scheme providing crucial flood defence to protect nearby industrial and residential areas.

It also provides flood storage to help protect Rotherham from serious flooding from the River Don, as experienced in the summer of 2007.

But the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, which took over management of the site in 2009, says silt from the Don has been deposited into the lagoon area of the reserve by flooding, reducing its water capacity.

“We feel that the site is beginning to suffer ecologically from the build-up of the silt,” said land manager, Rob Miller.

“We have noticed a significant reduction in the number of birds using the lagoon area where there's less open water available now.”

The site was created as a viable flood storage area and as a valuable habitat for wildlife and should be managed with that in mind.

The trust said it should also be managed to maintain the flood mitigation role it plays for the surrounding area and its capacity to hold water in the lagoon areas should be maintained at the maximum.

“This work will create a win-win situation,” added Rob. “The de-silting will reverse the recent biodiversity loss by regaining the open water habitat, and it will help to maximise the reserve's flood storage capacity.”