
Water voles continue to decline in distribution across Britain, but there are encouraging signs of recovery in 11 key areas, according to the National Water Vole Database Project report.
These gains, largely due to targeted conservation efforts, highlight the positive impact of habitat restoration, reintroductions, and the effective control of American mink—a non-native predator that has devastated water vole populations.
Known for inspiring Ratty in The Wind in the Willows, water voles are experiencing a resurgence in regions such as Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, and East Anglia. These areas have benefited from dedicated conservation initiatives, including habitat enhancements and mink eradication programs, which are reversing decades of decline.
The report reveals that in 2006, water voles occupied 1,071 10km grid squares across England, Scotland, and Wales. By 2022, this number had fallen to just 652 squares, marking a 39% reduction in range and the lowest level on record. This decline adds to a catastrophic 94% estimated reduction in distribution between 1900 and 1998. However, the findings also show that the area occupied by American mink has shrunk by 308 grid squares between 2013 and 2022, indicating progress in controlling this invasive predator.
Significantly, 11 new “regional key areas” for water voles—spanning over 35 sq km each—have been identified. Additionally, 30 existing key areas have expanded, while 12 maintained their size.
Ali Morse, water policy manager at the Wildlife Trusts, said: “The data is giving us a very clear message. The overall national picture is one of decline due to the destruction of natural habitats and predation by the non-native American mink. However, water vole populations will thrive when the right conditions are created. It’s heartening to see that we can still rescue Ratty, if we all plan well and coordinate our efforts.
“Water voles are mini-ecosystem engineers, rather like beavers, and they contribute greatly to healthy river ecology. Reversing their historic loss needs to be a key focus of our conservation efforts.”
These resilient populations play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity, as water voles disperse seeds to sustain lush riverbank vegetation and serve as prey for native species like stoats, pike, and marsh harriers.
In Yorkshire, the Skerne Wetlands, a former fish farm transformed into a nature reserve, has become the center of a new regional key area in the River Hull headwaters. In Hertfordshire, reintroductions on the Rivers Stort and Beane, alongside restoration work on the River Ash, have enabled water voles to expand their range. Similarly, in Oxfordshire, mink control and habitat improvements led by the Berks, Bucks, and Oxon Wildlife Trust have supported Britain’s longest-running single-species conservation project.
The Waterlife Recovery Trust has also achieved significant progress in East Anglia. In January, it announced the removal of mink from central and eastern Norfolk and Suffolk, covering nearly 5% of England. This effort has been bolstered by the use of “smart” traps that alert operators via text, enabling humane and efficient trapping on a larger scale. With new funding from Natural England, the trust is expanding its work to areas stretching from the Thames to mid-Lincolnshire, raising hopes for a mink-free Britain.
The Wildlife Trusts are advocating for expanded conservation measures. They propose prioritizing water vole habitats in farm subsidies that promote environmentally friendly land management and improving the use of nature restoration funds from housing developers to enhance water vole habitats.
Morse added: “Bringing back resilient populations requires a coordinated approach. We need to help populations expand from remaining strongholds, by ensuring that developers, land managers, farmers and conservationists all work in tandem.”
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