Cowbit Wash

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.7561, -0.1638

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Also within

Lincolnshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Declining (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TF240191 — Unfavourable Declining 9.07 2024-03-05

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Peatland

Peat habitats store centuries of carbon and depend on a stable, waterlogged water table. Warmer, drier summers dry out peat, making it far more vulnerable to wildfire and to carbon release — a pressure that can undo years of restoration work regardless of how well the site is otherwise managed.

Habitats

Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Glacial, Peatland / Mire

Description

Description Cowbit Wash lies three kilometres south of Spalding, between the River Welland, A1073 and A17. The interest lies below intensely farmed agricultural land. Cowbit Wash is an important site for studies of Flandrian i.e. post glacial sea level changes. A series of boreholes across Cowbit Wash has revealed a sequence of alternating marine clastic and freshwater peat layers which have been used for pollen, diatom, particle size and radio-carbon analyses. The analyses show a first period of peat accumulation starting at c.5900 BP which was terminated by a short period of marine deposition c.5600 BP. Deposition of brackish/marine sediments recommenced at c.5600 BP and continued, with an apparently brief interruption at c.4450 BP recorded by a discontinuous peat horizon, until c.2600 BP. The uppermost peat above the brackish/marine sediments is also discontinuous, probably due to earlier peat cutting or cultivation, but is now protected by a sandy silt containing mainly freshwater diatoms. It is thought that this surface deposit originates from periods of river flooding of Cowbit Wash and at the reference site is 1.67 metres thick. This is the only site from the Lincolnshire Fenland which provides pollen, diatom and radio-carbon data for multiple transgressive and regressive episodes and correlates well with the sequences at Adventurers' Land, Guyhirn. Together they are very important in the recognition of one of the earliest transgressive sequences Wash II within the Fenland and have great potential for further study.

Plant communities

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa

A14 — Fast flowing river and stream

Myriophyllum alterniflorum community

Isolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina

A16 — Chalk river and stream, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Callitriche stagnalis community

Ceratophyllum demersum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Lemna minor, Callitriche obtusangula, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Potamogeton pectinatus

A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community

Berula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans

A18 — Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus fluitans community

Fontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea

A19 — Chalk river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Nutrient rich eutrophic lake

Ranunculus aquatilis community

Fontinalis antipyretica, Apium nodiflorum, Ceratophyllum demersum, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna gibba, Lemna trisulca, Callitriche obtusangula, Callitriche stagnalis, Polygonum amphibium, Potamogeton natans, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus aquatilis, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans

A20 — Chalk river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Nutrient rich eutrophic lake, Pond ditch and canal

Ranunculus peltatus community

Sparganium erectum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Callitriche platycarpa, Polygonum amphibium, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus circinatus, Ranunculus peltatus, Ranunculus sceleratus, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Glyceria notata