Land Drainage Channels in England and Wales

Abstract

type in lowland Britain (Robinson, 1971) and the ecological studies that have been carried out suggest that such channels support a very rich fauna and flora (George, 1976; Scotter et al, 1977). This paper describes the distribution of drainage channels in England and Wales, and examines recent changes in aspects of their management and in land use of districts containing channels. Such changes could Jead to the reduction of the ecological interest and conservation value of this aquatic habitat. The paper is concerned only with artiflcial channels which form part of lowland drainage systems, and which generally contain water throughout the year. Water bodies such as canalized streams, winterbournes and water-meadow channels are not considered. Drainage channels and the areas they drain have been given a variety of names in Britain, and a short glossary is provided (see Appendix).