As part of an ongoing project for the construction of a flood bund in Essex, a small population of water voles required protection and mitigation.

A number of ditches ran through the proposed site, which held water voles. Two smaller ditches dried during the summer, with water voles naturally migrating from these sections which assisted the temporary displacement mitigation. This allowed the ditches to be denuded of vegetation to stop re-colonisation once water levels returned. 

Habitat restoration

A further ditch held water throughout the year, which had an established population of water voles. Habitat restoration occurred both up and down stream, through the removal of hawthorn and bramble scrub to open up the channels. This improved the wider ditches for water voles and provided protected and enhanced mitigation areas for animals within the wider construction zone.