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blue water with a white chalky shore and scrub on the slope at the far end of the lake, Houghton Regis Marl Lake Site of special Scientific Interest

Houghton Regis Marl Lake SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest). Photo by John Comont

Waterways are central to the character of Bedfordshire. The Ouse, Ivel and Flit Rivers wind their way through the landscape, past the towns and villages built on their banks. Once important for navigation and trade, these shallow rivers have been extensively modified for boat traffic. Nowadays, however, some sections of the rivers and their banks are returning to a more natural state.

Did you know that Bedfordshire has no natural lakes? All the county’s lakes are artificial! Bedfordshire sits atop large deposits of sand and gravel, which over the years have been quarried out. The disused quarries have filled with water, creating the many small lakes dotting the landscape today. Some now even have fish, for which local anglers head out at dawn, rod and reel in hand.

Wetlands – or mires – are among the most productive habitats. This is where land meets water, and creatures that use both environments concentrate here. Wetlands are home to all kinds of life: fish, reeds, mosses, dragonflies, birds, algae and much more. Unfortunately Bedfordshire’s wetlands became limited as the land was drained and the water table dropped. Those that remain tend to be very small and so are all the more valuable.

BedsLife waterlife logo: light blue tile with white silhouette of a carp The Bedfordshire & Luton Biodiversity Action Plan includes the following plans related to aquatic habitats and species: