Exciting plans are afoot to return the endangered water vole to the banks of London’s River Wandle.

A new study along the Wandle has found that some areas of habitat along the river are already ideal for reintroducing water vole, and with some work, additional stretches of the river could be improved to support a healthy water vole population in the not too distant future.

London Wildlife Trust was awarded £58,000 by Natural England through Defra’s Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) to assess the feasibility of reintroducing water vole to this important urban river. Water vole once flourished along this chalk stream in south London, which Admiral Lord Nelson regularly used to fish for its brown trout, and where the famous Liberty’s and William Morris textile printing took place. Yet by the 1960s the river was officially declared a sewer and the water vole became a distant memory.

London Wildlife Trust and partners are now working hard to restore the River Wandle for both its wildlife and people. Reintroducing water voles to the area is a key aim of our plan to create a Living Landscape for the Wandle Valley. And this funding has enabled a systematic and comprehensive study of the river to inform what work will need to be done for a successful water vole reintroduction.

“The River Wandle is one of London’s most valuable green spaces for people and wildlife, and it is fantastic news that its importance has been recognised by funders such as ALSF” says Emily Brennan, London Wildlife Trust’s Director of Biodiversity Conservation.

“The area has been identified as one of our priority Living Landscape schemes, and this funding will be invaluable in enabling London Wildlife Trust to reintroduce water vole to the Wandle.”

The water vole (Arvicola terrestris) is Britain’s fastest declining mammal – 95% of the British population has been lost over the past century. This catastrophic decline has been mainly due to habitat loss and predation by the American mink.

London Wildlife Trust is working with landowners, local authorities, other key organisations and volunteers to save existing populations of water vole across London and encourage new ones either by creating and enhancing habitat for them to move into, or by reintroducing them to suitable sites to increase their population spread across the capital.

Find out more: water vole species information