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ABPmer
Quayside Suite
Medina Chambers
Town Quay
Southampton
SO14 2AQ
2008
Regulated tidal exchange
United Kingdom
-5.6915456
54.531996
Lagoon
1 Hectares
Biodiversity Enhancement
This saline lagoon was created on the site of the old clay pit and is about 1 hectare in size. The water levels are controlled by a tidal flap which partially recharges and discharges tidal waters. There is also some, limited, freshwater input as runoff from the surrounding area and a small constructed island in the middle of the lagoon to attract nesting seabirds.
The tidal exchange connecting the lagoon to the estuary occurs through a narrow 12” extensive pipe. Due to the size and length this has been difficult to keep clear and maintain flow. This has resulted in periods when seawater exchange has slowed of ceased temporarily. Definitely, a larger diameter pipe that would facilitate access would be easier to maintain.
This lagoon is one of three main areas of coastal restoration at Castle Espie. In addition to this, there is a relatively new (0.5 ha) area of saltmarsh and mudflat habitat to the east of the site and a larger 1.6 ha area of marsh and mud to the west. The latter area is also a regulated tidal exchange feature. There is also a freshwater lagoon at the centre of the site
The whole of Castle Espie is a Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) reserve on the western shore of Strangford Lough that has been developed on a 19th-century industrial site. Ordnance Survey maps from 1834 show three limestone quarry pits close to the shoreline at the site.
In 1864, the land was purchased by the Murland family with the intention of reopening the quarries and a levee was constructed to reclaim land from the lough. This permitted three further quarry pits to be opened, from which clay and limestone were extracted (Hanna, n.d.). As these pits fell into disuse, they became flooded.
In 2007 the site received funding for a wetland restoration project from the UK Heritage Lottery Fund. This was primarily for the purposes of creating an improved habitat for birds. Today, there is this saline lagoon, a freshwater lagoon and two areas of saltmarsh and mudflat habitat.
ABPmer
Quayside Suite
Medina Chambers
Town Quay
Southampton
SO14 2AQ