WBD1: Manage ponds

What you must do to get paid for this action and advice on how to do it.

This is an action in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme: expanded offer for 2024. You must read the SFI scheme information to understand the scheme rules and how to apply.

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3 years

How much you바카라 사이트™ll be paid  

£257 per pond per year, with a maximum of 3 ponds per hectare (ha)

Action바카라 사이트™s aim  

This action바카라 사이트™s aim is that there바카라 사이트™s a pond containing clear and clean water with:

  • a range of semi-aquatic vegetation allowed to develop around the pond edge
  • submerged and floating pond plants
  • submerged or partially submerged deadwood

The purpose of this is to:

  • increase biodiversity
  • help improve water quality
  • provide habitats for native aquatic species

Where you can do this action 

You can do this action on eligible ponds located on land that바카라 사이트™s:

An eligible pond for this action must be:

  • more than 25 square metres up to 2ha (at the point you apply for an SFI agreement)
  • under your management control 바카라 사이트“ this includes the whole of the pond edge and the water in the pond

The following ponds are not eligible for this action:

  • ponds used for wastewater, treated effluent discharge activities or road drainage
  • sediment ponds, basins, traps or lagoons
  • balancing ponds
  • ponds which are largely or fully synthetically lined
  • ponds which are likely to need fully draining during this action바카라 사이트™s duration, such as irrigation ponds and fire water ponds
  • aquaculture ponds

Eligible land

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code
Pond Pond WF03

Eligibility of protected land

Protected land Eligibility
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) Ineligible 바카라 사이트“ you must not enter ponds into this action that are on an area that바카라 사이트™s designated as an SSSI
Historic and archaeological features Eligible 바카라 사이트“ you must get a SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.6바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트™Land with historic or archaeological features바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this)

Available area you can enter into this action

Not applicable. You바카라 사이트™ll enter the number of ponds.

Rotational or static action 

This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action바카라 사이트™s duration.

What to do

You must manage the pond in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim, including:

  • controlling scrub around the pond edge by lightly cutting it or grazing it with livestock to encourage a range of semi-aquatic vegetation to develop
  • trying to avoid livestock trampling and poaching the pond edge which can make the water turbid (cloudy)

You must not:

  • deepen or change the pond바카라 사이트™s original profile, including filling it in
  • artificially introduce plants or animals to the pond, including fish or waterfowl
  • allow supplementary feeding of fish
  • feed waterfowl 바카라 사이트“ if there바카라 사이트™s public access to the pond, try to discourage wildfowl feeding
  • add dyes to the water

When to do it  

You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of its 3-year duration.

How to do it 

It바카라 사이트™s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:

  • follow this action바카라 사이트™s requirements 바카라 사이트“ these are identified by a 바카라 사이트˜must바카라 사이트™
  • do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim

You may find it helpful to read the 바카라 사이트˜advice to help you do this action바카라 사이트™, but it바카라 사이트™s not part of this action바카라 사이트™s requirements.

Evidence to keep 

You must keep evidence to show what you바카라 사이트™ve done to complete this action, such as:

  • pond management operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
  • photographs and other documentation

If it바카라 사이트™s not clear that you바카라 사이트™ve done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.

Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action 

You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action. Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they바카라 사이트™re done at a different time of year to this action. For example, winter cover followed by a summer companion crop. Read 바카라 사이트˜What to do바카라 사이트™ and 바카라 사이트˜When to do it바카라 사이트™ to find out when this action must be done.

Scheme Action or option codes
SFI 2024 actions No SFI 2024 actions
SFI 2023 actions No SFI 2023 actions
CS options No CS management options
ES options No ES options
SFI pilot standards No SFI pilot standards

If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 6. 바카라 사이트˜Eligible land in other funding schemes바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information for more details.

Advice to help you do this action 

The following advice may help you to do this action, but it바카라 사이트™s not part of this action바카라 사이트™s requirements.

Managing your pond

Your pond is more likely to contain clear and clean water if you:

To manage the margin around the pond edge, you can:

  • control scrub and other woody growth to provide mainly 바카라 사이트˜open바카라 사이트™ unshaded habitat (especially on the southern side of the pond) 바카라 사이트“ this will allow in plenty of light
  • retain occasional mature trees, low scrub and bramble to help provide nectar and cover for wildlife
  • retain some patches of existing habitat for wildlife (such as leaf litter, logs and woody debris)

The best time of year for you to complete pond management works is between September and November, when water levels are low and dry ground conditions make it easy to work in and around ponds. You can then let nature colonise the pond after any works.

If protected species are likely to be present, check if you need to get a wildlife licence before you complete pond management works. Read section 10.4 바카라 사이트˜Wildlife licences for protected species바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information.

If you바카라 사이트™re managing more than one pond, you may want to establish a rotational management system. You can then manage different ponds in different years including any surrounding scrub, trees and pond vegetation.

Natural ponds will usually have fluctuating water levels throughout the year and a drawdown 바카라 사이트˜muddy바카라 사이트™ zone that바카라 사이트™s valuable for wildlife.

Seasonal ponds (which are dry for part of the year) are also important to create a mosaic of ponds across the landscape. They are less likely to support fish, which can predate amphibians and invertebrates.

Preventing or limiting livestock access to the water edge will avoid poaching and help maintain vegetation cover and water quality.

You may find it helpful to read:

  • Farm Wildlife바카라 사이트™s
  • the Freshwater Habitats Trust and the University College of London바카라 사이트™s

Updates to this page

Published 31 May 2024
Last updated 15 August 2024 show all updates
  1. The only eligible land type for this action is a pond, that바카라 사이트™s registered with a 바카라 사이트˜pond바카라 사이트™ land cover on your digital maps and declared with WFO3 land use code. All other land types have been removed.

  2. Where you can do this action - an eligible land type is defined in section 5.1 바카라 사이트˜Eligible land types for SFI바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information. Eligible land - pond and water are eligible land types. Published voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action바카라 사이트™s requirements.

  3. First published.