Water Voles are the fastest declining mammal in the UK.  Once boasting a population of eight million, fewer than 132,000 remain today.  They have been lost from around 94% of their former range, including much of the Lake District.

The arrival of the non-native American Mink has been a major driver of this decline.  Water Voles did not co-evolve with mink – a voracious predator – and have few defences against them.  Without targeted action, entire colonies can be wiped out in a very short time.

Reversing this decline has been a race against time.  What we are seeing now shows what is possible when  river restoration, species recovery and partnership working come together.

Preparing rivers and wetlands for Water Voles

Reintroducing Water Voles is about far more than releasing animals into the wild.  Long-term success depends on healthy habitats, connected river corridors and effective mink control.

River conservation charity Eden Rivers Trust, supported by funding from Cumbria Connect, the Environment Agency’s Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF), the Moorhouse Fund (Cumbria Community Foundation) and The Ernest Cook Trust, has worked closely with landowners, volunteers and local communities.  Over several years, this work has included restoring rivers and wetlands and putting effective American Mink control in place.

Water Voles have been released at key sites in the Cumbria Connect programme area including Cumbria Connect’s core sites – the Lowther estate and Wild Haweswater which is managed by the RSPB and owned by United Utilities. The first phase of these reintroductions marked the first within the Lake District National Park.  These carefully phased releases followed extensive habitat restoration, creating connected river and floodplain environments that support natural movement and population growth.

To strengthen resilience, the project worked with Water Vole specialists Derek Gow Consultancy to source captive-bred animals with genetics closely matched to those that once lived in Cumbria.