Not native to canals

I HAVE been reading that student Paul Roberts spent an very unsuccessful time trailing the Llangollen Canal for evidence of water voles, writes Ian Waters.

Paul should realise that it is rivers that have been the water voles' habitat for centuries, and are hardly native to the virtually static canals, that as we all know have only been there for around 200 years.

Caused a breach

Why this urge to get them into the canals I cannot understand, especially as I also read they were responsible for causing a breach on the Kennet & Avon Canal.

[Water voles burrowing in a bank of the entrance to the then recently opened Buxworth Basin caused it to be quickly closed whilst they were relocated and the bank rebuilt.—Editor.]

Canal & River Trust say that 'Water voles burrow into steep canal or riverside banks to form a complicated system of underground tunnels and nesting chambers'. Then that 'at least one entrance will be below the water level for a fast escape if necessary'.

Gives the lie

That rather gives the game away doesn't it?  And gives the lie to another quote that 'voles only burrow in canal banks above the water line', when it was defending someone complaining that providing habitats for water voles in canal banks was not a good idea.

CaRT ecologist Stephen Leigh wants to go even further and actually soften the canal banks on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal to make it easier for water voles to burrow. (Fund for water voles). Now how silly is that.

Why not leave them to their normal habitat, and at the same time save some money, (£25,000 for the Leeds & Liverpool).