SNH Silvan House GLADHOUSE RESERVOIR 3rd Floor East Site of Special Scientific Interest 231 Corstorphine Road EH12 7AT SITE MANAGEMENT STATEMENT Tel: 0131 316 2600 Fax: 0131 316 2690 Site code: 692 e-mail: @snh.gov.uk

Purpose This is a public statement prepared by SNH for owners and occupiers of the SSSI. It outlines the reasons it is designated as an SSSI and provides guidance on how its special natural features should be conserved or enhanced. This Statement does not affect or form part of the statutory notification and does not remove the need to apply for consent for operations requiring consent. We welcome your views on this statement.

Description of the site Gladhouse Reservoir Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) site lies about 14 km south of Dalkeith in .

The site comprises an artificial, mesotrophic freshwater body with limited development of aquatic and emergent vegetation. Breeding Anas platyrhynchos , tufted duck Aythya fuligula , teal Anas crecca, coot Fulica atra , moorhen Gallinula chloropus , great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus and little grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis occur. In winter the reservoir supports mallard, teal, wigeon Anas penelope and tufted duck. The site is of particular importance as a winter roost for pink-footed geese Anser brachyrhynchus with peaks of over 13,000 (1/8 of the world population) recorded in the past. Large numbers of greylag geese Anser anser are also present.

Gladhouse Reservoir is of international importance as a goose roost. Due to its importance, Gladhouse Reservoir was designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site in 1988, providing more stringent legislation for the protection of its nature conservation interest. This designation is under both Article 4.2 of the EC Directive 70/409 on the Conservation of Wild Birds, and Criterion 1B of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.

Together with the alternate roost for these birds - Fala Flow - Gladhouse is the most important pink-footed goose roost in Midlothian. The reservoir is the largest freshwater body in the area and is the most important site in Midlothian for breeding and wintering wildfowl.

There are few freshwater bodies in Midlothian so Gladhouse is of local significance for its

aquatic and emergent plants and aquatic invertebrates.

The reservoir is a large, relatively shallow waterbody with two small islands situated at an altitude of 270m at the foot of the Moorfoot Hills in Midlothian. It is a water supply reservoir for Edinburgh and Midlothian owned and managed by Scottish Water. There is limited development of aquatic and marginal vegetation in the reservoir, with small areas of marginal fen around it. Coniferous woodland around most of the reservoir and the lack of a footpath both help prevent disturbance to the wildfowl.

The 2003 site condition monitoring (SCM) assessment of the ‘pink-footed goose’ feature found it to be in unfavourable and declining condition. This assessment is due to the mean number of over-wintering geese supported by this site having declined by over 50% since the date the site was designated.

Natural features of Condition of feature Other relevant Gladhouse Reservoir SSSI (and date monitored) designations

Pink-footed goose (Anser Unfavourable-declining Gladhouse Reservoir brachyrhynchus ), non-breeding (November 2003) SPA, Ramsar

The reservoir is enclosed by woodland The reservoir’s islands are also wooded

Past and present management The site is managed as a drinking water supply reservoir by Scottish Water. During periods of drought it also supplies compensation water to the River South Esk.

The fishing and shooting rights are owned by Arniston and Rosebery estates, and leased to individuals and syndicates.

The site is recognised as an important brown trout fishery. Angling is by boat only, of which there are 8 in operation. Currently Scottish Water operates 4 for hire by members of the public, and the estates each operate 2 boats. Coniferous woodland surrounding the reservoir is also managed by Scottish Water with the land beyond this used mainly for sheep grazing with a small area of arable land for vegetable crops and cereals.

The Birds Directive requires that special conservation measures are taken to ensure the survival and reproduction of the Annex I species for which the site is classified as a Special Protection Area (SPA). Their populations should be maintained at a level which corresponds to their ecological requirements.

The birds which use the site are sensitive to disturbance by man throughout the year. Disturbance from visitors is minimal partly because the site is not publicised and also because there is no easy access to the edge of the water body. The other potential source of disturbance is the anglers but their access arrangements are agreed by the management group to try and ensure minimal disturbance.

The long term objective for the site is to maintain favourable conditions at Gladhouse Reservoir SSSI for the internationally important numbers of wintering pink-footed geese, and the other breeding and wintering wildfowl present on the site.

The population numbers of wintering pink-footed geese for which the site is notified are currently lower than at the date of SPA classification (1988). As pink-footed goose numbers are increasing nationally, it is likely that they are using alternative roosting sites, the reasons for which are unknown.

In 2009 the Lothians and Fife Swan and Goose Study Group completed a two-year study of ‘Geese Roosting at Gladhouse Reservoir SPA and linkage to other sites.’ This report confirms that numbers of pink-footed geese observed at Gladhouse Reservoir do not meet the threshold for Ramsar / SPA / SSSI designation. The report lays out a series of recommendations for returning pink-footed geese to the site:

A) re-establish the formal management process – and reinstating the management plan process; B) Habitat management – specifically control of bankside vegetation around the reservoir, and control of water levels if possible; C) Ongoing monitoring of goose numbers; D) A clear understanding of current levels of wildfowling and angling; E) Controlling the extent of water-based or bankside recreational activities during the wintering months.

Objectives for Management (and key factors influencing the condition of natural features) We wish to work with the owner and occupiers to protect the site and to maintain and where necessary enhance its features of special interest. SNH aims to carry out site survey, monitoring and research as appropriate to increase our knowledge and understanding of the site and its natural features and to monitor the effectiveness of its management.

The EU Habitats and Birds Directives oblige Government to avoid, in SACs and SPAs, the deterioration of natural habitats and the habitats of species, as well as disturbance of the species for which the areas have been designated, in so far as such disturbance could be significant in relation to the objectives of these Directives. The objectives

below have been assessed against these requirements. All authorities proposing to carry out or permit to be carried out operations likely to have a significant effect on the European interests of this SSSI must assess those operations against the relevant Natura conservation objectives (which are listed on our website through the SNHi - SiteLink facility).

1. Re-establish the management plan process via re-forming the Gladhouse Advisory Committee, or equivalent.

2. Controlling bankside vegetation with the aim of providing exposed shoreline on which geese can roost and preen.

3. Controlling water levels (once open shoreline has been established) to ensure that geese roosting areas are maintained.

4. Controlling recreational activities (angling, waterfowling etc.) during the winter months (October to March) to encourage the use of the site by geese.

Date last reviewed: 22 July 2010