WBD1: Manage ponds
What you must do to get paid for this action and advice on how to do it.
This is an action in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme: expanded offer for 2024. You must read the SFI scheme information to understand the scheme rules and how to apply.
Duration
3 years
How much you’ll be paid
£257 per pond per year, with a maximum of 3 ponds per hectare (ha)
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there’s a pond containing clear and clean water with:
- a range of semi-aquatic vegetation allowed to develop around the pond edge
- submerged and floating pond plants
- submerged or partially submerged deadwood
The purpose of this is to:
- increase biodiversity
- help improve water quality
- provide habitats for native aquatic species
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on eligible ponds located on land that’s:
- an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’ in the SFI scheme information)
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover
An eligible pond for this action must be:
- more than 25 square metres up to 2ha (at the point you apply for an SFI agreement)
- under your management control – this includes the whole of the pond edge and the water in the pond
The following ponds are not eligible for this action:
- ponds used for wastewater, treated effluent discharge activities or road drainage
- sediment ponds, basins, traps or lagoons
- balancing ponds
- ponds which are largely or fully synthetically lined
- ponds which are likely to need fully draining during this action’s duration, such as irrigation ponds and fire water ponds
- aquaculture ponds
Eligible land
| Eligible land type | Eligible land cover | Compatible land use code |
|---|---|---|
| Pond | Pond | WF03 |
Eligibility of protected land
| Protected land | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) | Ineligible – you must not enter ponds into this action that are on an area that’s designated as an SSSI |
| Historic and archaeological features | Eligible – you must get a SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.6 ’Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this) |
Available area you can enter into this action
Not applicable. You’ll enter the number of ponds.
Rotational or static action
This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.
What to do
You must manage the pond in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim, including:
- controlling scrub around the pond edge by lightly cutting it or grazing it with livestock to encourage a range of semi-aquatic vegetation to develop
- trying to avoid livestock trampling and poaching the pond edge which can make the water turbid (cloudy)
You must not:
- deepen or change the pond’s original profile, including filling it in
- artificially introduce plants or animals to the pond, including fish or waterfowl
- allow supplementary feeding of fish
- feed waterfowl – if there’s public access to the pond, try to discourage wildfowl feeding
- add dyes to the water
When to do it
You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of its 3-year duration.
How to do it
It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:
- follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’
- do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim
You may find it helpful to read the ‘advice to help you do this action’, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
Evidence to keep
You must keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:
- pond management operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
- photographs and other documentation
If it’s not clear that you’ve done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.
Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action
You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action. Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they’re done at a different time of year to this action. For example, winter cover followed by a summer companion crop. Read ‘What to do’ and ‘When to do it’ to find out when this action must be done.
| Scheme | Action or option codes |
|---|---|
| SFI 2024 actions | No SFI 2024 actions |
| SFI 2023 actions | No SFI 2023 actions |
| CS options | No CS management options |
| ES options | No ES options |
| SFI pilot standards | No SFI pilot standards |
If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 6. ‘Eligible land in other funding schemes’ in the SFI scheme information for more details.
Advice to help you do this action
The following advice may help you to do this action, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
Managing your pond
Your pond is more likely to contain clear and clean water if you:
- block or remove any artificial drainage flowing into it, so it does not receive polluted water
- prevent fertiliser, manures, pesticides, herbicides and soil run-off from reaching the pond
- establish a buffer strip around the pond – you can apply for BFS2 (buffer in-field ponds on arable land) or BFS3 (buffer in-field ponds on improved grassland) to help you do this
To manage the margin around the pond edge, you can:
- control scrub and other woody growth to provide mainly ‘open’ unshaded habitat (especially on the southern side of the pond) – this will allow in plenty of light
- retain occasional mature trees, low scrub and bramble to help provide nectar and cover for wildlife
- retain some patches of existing habitat for wildlife (such as leaf litter, logs and woody debris)
The best time of year for you to complete pond management works is between September and November, when water levels are low and dry ground conditions make it easy to work in and around ponds. You can then let nature colonise the pond after any works.
If protected species are likely to be present, check if you need to get a wildlife licence before you complete pond management works. Read section 10.4 ‘Wildlife licences for protected species’ in the SFI scheme information.
If you’re managing more than one pond, you may want to establish a rotational management system. You can then manage different ponds in different years including any surrounding scrub, trees and pond vegetation.
Natural ponds will usually have fluctuating water levels throughout the year and a drawdown ‘muddy’ zone that’s valuable for wildlife.
Seasonal ponds (which are dry for part of the year) are also important to create a mosaic of ponds across the landscape. They are less likely to support fish, which can predate amphibians and invertebrates.
Preventing or limiting livestock access to the water edge will avoid poaching and help maintain vegetation cover and water quality.
You may find it helpful to read:
- Farm Wildlife’s guidance on managing ponds
- the Freshwater Habitats Trust and the University College of London’s ‘Guide to the restoration, creation and management of ponds: Bringing ponds to life’
Updates to this page
Last updated 15 August 2024 + show all updates
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The only eligible land type for this action is a pond, that’s registered with a ‘pond’ land cover on your digital maps and declared with WFO3 land use code. All other land types have been removed.
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Where you can do this action - an eligible land type is defined in section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’ in the SFI scheme information. Eligible land - pond and water are eligible land types. Published voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action’s requirements.
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First published.