A new 60 million gallon reservoir and wetland reserve has just been completed in Foulden, near Thetford, which will help both farming and wildlife.
The reservoir, which was built with help from Defra's Rural Enterprise Scheme (RES), administered by the Rural Development Service (RDS), will help reduce summer abstraction requirements at J.W. Spencer Farms in Foulden, Methwold and Northwold. The guaranteed water supply will help boost potato and vegetable production, improve product quality and bring other environmental benefits.
James Webb, manager for J.W. Spencer Farms Ltd, said:
"We have had licences to abstract water in the summer but these were sometimes subject to flow restrictions and even cessation orders in dry summers, which potentially jeopardised our vegetable crops.
"By creating the reservoir, we can abstract surplus river water during the winter. We will then have a reliable supply and can increase our production of high quality potatoes, parsnips and carrots. About 25% of the farm is grown organically and the reservoir should help us to expand this business further.
"We have also been able to create a new two-acre wetland area, or scrape, next to the River Wissey. This will also be topped up by the reservoir and provide a wetland for wading birds, such as lapwing and snipe, throughout the summer."
The new reservoir, which covers about 30 acres, has taken four months to build, with the excavated clay being used on site to line the reservoir.
Matt Jones, an advisor for the Rural Development Service in the East of England, said the reservoir would also help secure jobs and create new ones. He added:
"This project has a number of benefits, from reducing the amount of water abstracted from our rivers during the summer, to boosting the production of organic vegetables and creating a new wetland habitat.
"This is a good example of how RES funding can facilitate sound business decisions that help both the environment and the local economy."
