Flora and Fauna
The River Loddon is one of Berkshire's best kept fishing secrets and is reported to hold amongst its shoals of bream, chub, roach and rudd some very large specimen barbel. The record for the largest barbel caught on the river stands at 18 lb 1 oz (8.19 kg). It was caught in 2008. Other records include a 17 lb 12 oz (8.05 kg) pike caught in 1995 and a 17 lb 8 oz (7.94 kg) carp caught in 2002.
A 2.5-mile (4.0 km) stretch of the Loddon near Stanfordend Mill, together with the adjacent hay meadows, which are periodically waterlogged, is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The Lodden has been part of the SSSI since 1986. The meadows are cut for hay in July each year, and then grazed by cattle until the end of the year. This cycle has resulted in a large population of fritillaries (Fritillaria meleagris), a bulb which thrives in damp meadows when its life cycle is not cut short by more modern management regimes. The river is included for its population of Loddon pondweed (Potamogeton nodosus), as this is the principal location in the country at which it can be found.
In an effort to improve conditions for migrating fish, a £485,000 scheme to create a 220-yard (200 m) bypass around the weirs at Arborfield was implemented in 2010. It was a joint project between the Environment Agency, Thames Water, the University of Reading, the Farley Estate and Arborfield Angling Society, created to meet the provisions of the Water Framework Directive. The channel provides a range of habitats, including a 88-yard (80 m) stretch which is suitable for spawning fish to lay their eggs, and is expected to be of benefit to salmon, sea trout, eels and barbel. The first phase of the project, which involved repairs to four of the five weir structures at Arborfield, was designed to create lower water levels on the 2.8-mile (4.5 km) section above the mill site, to reduce the risk of flooding. Cain Bio-Engineering carried out the construction work, and the project is expected to become a benchmark for such schemes.
Read more about this topic: River Loddon
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