Why Kempton is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Kempton Park Reservoirs are of national importance for wintering gadwall Anas strepera, the site also supports significant numbers of wintering shoveler Anas clypeata.
Kempton Park Reservoirs comprises two artificially embanked basins to the northeast of Kempton Park Racecourse near Hampton. The site consists of :
the defunct Kempton Park East Reservoir (now Kempton Nature Reserve)
and Red House Reservoir which lies within the operational boundary of Kempton Waterworks.
Kempton Park East Reservoir was constructed in 1906 but has been redundant since 1980. In 1982 the reservoir was drained but continued to hold a residual amount of water, supplemented by rainfall. In 1996 part of the earth and clay embankment was removed to ensure compliance with maximum water volumes for redundant reservoirs under The Reservoirs Act.
Kempton Park East Reservoir has been actively managed as a nature reserve since 1996 when substantial works aimed at protecting and improving habitats for wetland bird species were begun under a planning agreement with the local authority. These included the creation of refuge islands, deep water channels and reed beds within the basin. Regular breeding waders on the East Reservoir include lapwing Vanellus vanellus redshank Tringa botanus ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula and little ringed plover Charadrius dubius. Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta bred on the East Reservoir in 1996. This represented the first successful inland breeding of this species in the British Isles. A wide range of passage birds, including smew Mergus albellus garganey Anas crecca Temminck’s stint Calidris temminckii spotted crake Porzana porzana and red-necked phalarope Phalaropus lobatus, have been recorded in recent years.
Red House Reservoir is the smaller of the two reservoirs. It remains operational as a water storage facility and is fed by the Staines Reservoirs Aqueduct. The secluded wooded setting of Red House Reservoir is particularly favoured by feeding bats and the site supports Noctule Nyctalus noctula, serotine Eptesicus serotinus Daubenton’s bat Myotis daubentoni and pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus. Other mammals include water vole. Reptiles and amphibians present include populations of grass snake Natrix natrix palmate newt Triturus helveticus smooth newt Triturus vulgaris common frog Rana temporaria and common toad Bufo bufo.
About SSSIs generally
There are over 4,000 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in England, covering around 7% of the country's land area. Over half of these sites, by area, are internationally important for their wildlife, and designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) or Ramsar sites. Many SSSIs are also National Nature Reserves (NNRs) or Local Nature Reserves (LNRs).
SSSIs are the country's very best wildlife and geological sites. They include some of our most spectacular and beautiful habitats - large wetlands teeming with waders and waterfowl, winding chalk rivers, gorse and heather-clad heathlands, flower-rich meadows, windswept shingle beaches and remote uplands moorland and peat bog.
It is essential to preserve our remaining natural heritage for future generations. Wildlife and geological features are under pressure from development, pollution, climate change and unsustainable land management. SSSIs are important as they support plants and animals that find it more difficult to survive in the wider countryside. Protecting and managing SSSIs is a shared responsibility, and an investment for the benefit of future generations.