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FoTR FEATURES PAGE


Introduction

This page provides a link to various feature pages which are either new of general interest or have appeared in a more prominent position when they were news.

Features


Extracts From News And Events

Blue-Green Algae 2006
(August, 2006)

In 2006 British Waterways are using bales of Barley Straw to control the Blue-Green Algae. The bales are strung out across Marsworth, Startops and Wilstone Reservoirs. There is a notice at Marsworth Rerservoir whaich explains that as the bales of Barley Straw naturally break down they give off Hydrogen Peroxide which kills the algae and oxygenates the water (I don't really follow how the water becomes oxygenated). The notice says this is safe and environmentally friendly.


10,000 bream found dead in the GU canal
(December, 2005)

Non-update 28-1-06. No more information seems to be available on this. It seems to turned into a cold wet fish.

Update 13-12-05. Following the explosions and fire at the fuel depot in Hemel Hempsted, apparently 16 million litres of water from the Grand Union Canal was used to help put out the fires. This priority no doubt helps explain no reply from British waterways yet. Also it may affect water levels.

Original article

Information from various sources including the BBC News web site (1-12-05) and the Tring and Berkhamsted Gazette (7-12-05, page 12)

10,000 bream were found floating in a 50 metre stretch of the Grand Union Canal at Startops End on Tuesday, November 29, 2005. The affected fish all came from this year spawning and other species were unaffected.

The Environment Agency are investigating what the caused the deaths. They saw no signs of fish in distress at the scene and water quality was found to be normal in tests at the scene. Further samples, including from Startops Reservoir, are to be analysed in a laboratory and they hoped to get the results by the end of week commencing 5-12-05.

This is the third similar incident in the Tring and Berkhamsted area in the last 6 months but no links have been found, yet. The canal and reservoirs are expected to recover in good time.

If you see any signs of fish in distress in the canal, call The Environment Agency Hotline number immediately to report it 0800 80 70 60.

Has anyone seen or heard anything more about this? I have asked British Waterways about it and await their reply.
Is it coincidence or is it to do with the Blue-Green Algae or Hydrogen Peroxide solution? (Ref. our feature 'Low Water Level at Tringford Reservoir and Blue-Green Algae'(September 2005) below.)


Low Water Level at Tringford Reservoir and Blue-Green Algae
(September, 2005)

You may well have noticed how low Tringford Reservoir has become over the last few weeks. You may also have noticed Wilstone Reservoir has gone up in the same period so there is very little exposed mud there now. All this is very unusual.

We saw British Waterways treating the water in the canal feed next to the Marsworth Car Park on 16-9-05 and asked them what was going on.

I'm sure you know Tring Reservoirs are used to feed the Grand Union Canal, hence the seasonal variation in water levels. In late summer there is a build up of poisonous Blue-Green Algae in the reservoirs. Apparently the algae could build up in the canal and kill off the fish.

In the last few weeks British Waterways have been using Tringford Reservoir (instead of Wilstone, Marsworth and Startops) to feed the canals because it doesn't have the Blue-Green Algae. Tringford is now as low as they can take it so they have stopped taking water from there and started using the other reservoirs.

They told us they are now treating the water entering the canal system from the other reservoirs with Hydrogen Peroxide to kill off the Blue-Green Algae. It's all being monitered by the Environment Agency to make sure they don't put too much in etc.

So Tringford should now start refilling and Wilstone should start emptying again.

Colin Lambert


Diving Mallard

David Gantzel reports : "On Saturday, August 6th 2005, members of the South Bucks branch of British Naturalist Association watched a male eclipse mallard consistently diving on Tringford reservoir. The dives were on the far side of the hide in front of the dead trees. Mallard do sometimes dive but in rather shallow water. This bird stayed under much longer than the text book gives. Has this been noticed at Tringford before ?"
Our comment : We have certainly seen mallard diving before, but do not have any records detailling how long or deep they dive.

Unusual Behaviour Sighting at the Water Treatment Works Lagoon Hide
from Mic and Jan Wells

For ten minutes (on 28-8-04) we observed a mallard stretching out from the water and grasping a Great Willowherb with its bill then shaking the plant vigorously. A total of three mallards and a moorhen were together and clearly picking something up which was falling into the water.
We looked through the scope and saw that they were winged insects of about the size of common lacewings. Unfortunately we could not see the detail. After just over ten minutes the Mallard stopped and gave up (we guessed that the insects had all been removed) at which time the Moorhen got hold of a lower branch and shook the plant twice before giving up and swimming away.
We are not sure whether this behaviour has been recorded before or what the insects were (we saw no damselflies this morning only a couple of migrant Hawkers). If you think that this may be of interest to others please put it on the Tring Reservoirs web site, certainly we would like to hear if anyone can tell us more.
Mic and Jan Wells

Great Crested Grebe Rescued At Marsworth Reservoir
31st March, 2003

Lynne and I were by the bank wondering how we could help the Great Crested Grebe which had a fishing hook and line caught in it's bill. It was diving near the sluice and I was thinking about jumping in to try to catch it. Then, it didn't resurface and we could just see it's body and feet twisting under the surface. It was caught on something underwater. I jumped in, swam out to it and held it's body as I felt below it. The hook and line had caught on some weed which I quickly snapped. The grebe was quite limp by now but soon revived and tried to poke my eye out as I waded back to the bank with it.
On the bank we could see the 3 pronged hook had gone through it's bill and we couldn't pull it out. Some fellow birders passing by fetched a couple of fishermen who used their expertise and equipment to get the hook out while Lynne and I held the grebe. Once back in the water it swam off as though nothing had happened.
You can probably tell we are feeling pretty pleased with ourselves, but two friends from Tring Ringing Group who had just left us will kick themselves when they read this, and berate us for not contacting them to ring it.
If you would like to write a feature page about Tring Reservoirs that we could include on the web site, please send the text and any photos to me by .
Don't worry about layout or format, I'll do that to try and keep a constant visual theme.

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