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Our work here
18 July 2011
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The RSPB acquired Cliffe Pools in 2001. This 237 ha reserve comprises a complex of saline lagoons and brackish pools created by old clay diggings and river dredgings.
These habitats already attract large numbers of water birds, and we are now working to enhance the site for their benefit and that of other wildlife, while developing it as a major visitor attraction. Our long-term management plans will need to address the inevitable threats of sea-level rise.
Shallows and depths
We will reduce the depth of the lagoons and pools by filling them in with dredgings. This will provide suitable shallow feeding areas for ducks and waders. We will also retain a few deeper areas to help us manage the water and salinity levels, and as refuges for aquatic invertebrates. Our rate of progress will depend upon the quantity and type of dredgings. We will prioritise our work accordingly, starting with the small pools if only limited dredgings are initially available.
Islands and margins
We will reshape islands in the lagoons to enhance their appeal for water birds, and will create more shallow margins to increase the available feeding habitat. We will also use dredgings to create new nesting islands for species such as avocet and ringed plover.
Grass and scrub
Cliffe has 75 ha of grassland on in-filled lagoons. We will manage this habitat for the benefit of its breeding lapwings and redshanks, and important invertebrates such as the shrill carder bee. There is also 5ha of dense scrub, which we will diversify for the benefit of its breeding birds, especially nightingales.
People appeal
Cliffe’s public profile has risen in recent years due to the successful 'No Airport' campaign. With the constant threat of new development, such as Boris Johnson’s Thames Estuary Airport proposal, we hope that our ongoing work at Cliffe Pools will further strengthen public support and promote the value of the North Kent Marshes. The new car park and site interpretation is a huge stride forward in the development of the reserve. In the future, we still hope to add a visitor centre, trails and hides.
Funding
We are extremely grateful to SITA Trust through the Landfill Communities Fund who is financially supporting hydrological improvements at the reserve, leading to restoration of the site’s unique saline lagoons. A tree-planting project was made possible, thanks to funding from the Phillips Fund through the Kent Community Foundation and the International Tree Foundation.
Thanks to help from employees of Goldman Sachs, we have been able to deliver more for conservation at Cliffe Pools.