Water Vole Survey

If you are planning a development project that could impact a waterbody or watercourse either directly or indirectly, a water vole survey may be required for your development or planning application to proceed.

Water Vole Survey services from licensed ecologists.

Ecology by Design has comprehensive experience in conducting water vole surveys to identify signs of activity as well as advising on river corridor management, enhancements and mitigation to be considered within the project design and schedule. We routinely provide advice on approaches to avoid disturbance to water voles and their habitat for example by making minor changes to working practices. However, if disturbance is unavoidable, we have experience in preparing the necessary conservation licence to allow works to proceed. The licence acts as a permit to exclude the water voles from the site. Once works have been completed the site can be re-instated and enhanced to demonstrate a net conservation gain. In specialist scenarios, Ecology by Design can work with captive breeding programmes to remove the voles, breed them and release them once works are complete.

Why and when do you need a water vole survey?

The water vole is Britain's largest vole, and has suffered a dramatic decline since the 1990s and continues to face significant threats from habitat loss and predation by non-native American mink. Water voles are protected under UK law, making it an offence to intentionally capture, kill, or injure them; intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy, or obstruct access to any structure or place which water voles use for shelter or protection, or to disturb water voles while they are using such a place.

If a proposed development is likely to affect suitable habitat for water vole such as slow-flowing streams, ditches, lakes, ponds or reedbed, a water vole survey is likely to be required to support a planning application. A water vole survey and report will confirm whether the species is present and will recommend the avoidance, mitigation or compensation requirements to form part of the development proposals. Water vole surveys may also be recommended as the result of an ecological scoping survey or preliminary ecological appraisal.

What does a water vole entail?

An assessment of habitat suitability for water vole and the need for surveys is often established via ecological scoping or a preliminary ecological appraisal.

A water vole survey usually involves two visits to determine presence/likely absence. Surveys involve a detailed assessment of river banks and waterbodies to search for evidence including:

Water vole footprints;
Droppings and feeding signs; and
Water vole burrows and latrines.

Aquatic vegetation can constrain surveys, in which case, survey methods are specially adapted to include access via kayaks, boats and monitoring using remote trail cameras. If water voles are present, the surveys will inform the mitigation requirements and the need for a licence from Natural England.

Water Vole Survey Timing

Surveys can be undertaken between April and October with one visit during the first half of the season and one in the later part of the season (at least 2 months apart) to account seasonal variations in numbers.