CWT15: Manage ponds and bodies of water up to 2ha
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-10)

What you must do to get paid for this CSHT action and advice on how to do it.

This action is part of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). You must read the CSHT guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht) before you apply.

Duration

5 years

How much you’ll be paid

£424 per pond or body of water per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is to manage permanent ponds, temporary ponds or other bodies of water up to 2 hectares (ha) that have a high wildlife value so they:
- are more plentiful and varied
- are less polluted
The purpose is to:
- benefit biodiversity through maintaining and improving water quality and habitat quality
- protect historic assets such as mill and stew ponds
Where you can do this action

You can do this action on an eligible:
- priority pond as identified by criteria or maps set out on the Freshwater Habitats Trust website (https://freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/waternet/priority-ponds/)
- body of water with characteristic flora or fauna, good water quality and natural water levels
- historic pond, such as a mill and stew pond
An eligible pond or body of water for this action must be:
- more than 49 square metres
- under your management control – this includes the pond or body of water and the shore
You’ll normally undertake an appropriate buffering, riparian or habitat action surrounding the pond or body of water. This is unless you get approval from your Natural England adviser to do this action on its own.

Eligible land

You can do this action on land that’s:
- an eligible land type
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/land-use-codes-rural-payments) which is compatible with the eligible land cover
Available area you can enter into this action

Not applicable. You’ll enter the number of ponds or waterbodies.

This action is for ponds and other bodies of water up to 2ha. If the waterbody is larger than 2ha, you should use action CWT16: Manage lakes and bodies of water greater than 2ha.

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

Your Natural England adviser will assess your land. They’ll work with you to adapt and agree the activities you must do to achieve this action’s aim. All mandatory activities will be set out in your agreement document.

To get paid for this action, you must:
- manage trees, scrub and other vegetation
- naturalise the hydrology of the pond or body of water by allowing or replicating seasonal fluctuation of water levels
- maintain clear, unpolluted water
- retain some submerged or partially submerged deadwood
The advice you’re given from Natural England is specific to your land which means (where relevant) you may also need to:
- manage margins around the waterbody by grazing or cutting
- maintain a cover of submerged and floating aquatic plants and marginal vegetation
- prevent the use of excess angling baits
You must not:
- connect ponds to inflowing streams, ditches or drains
- introduce plants or animals (including fish and waterfowl) to the waterbody, unless agreed with your Natural England adviser
- allow the supplementary feeding of fish stocks
- artificially change the size, shape or structure of the waterbody or in-fill it, unless agreed
- add dyes to the water
- feed wildfowl (if there’s public access to the pond, you should discourage wildfowl feeding)
When to do it

You must do this action each year of its duration.

Evidence to keep

You must keep evidence to show what you have done to complete this action. If it’s not clear that you have done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) may ask for this evidence.

You must supply the evidence if they ask for it, including:
- field operations at a parcel level
- associated invoices
- photographs relevant to the action
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.

Consents, permissions and licensing requirements

To apply for this action, you’ll need:
- to agree an implementation plan or feasibility study with your Natural England adviser
- Scheduled Monument Consent (https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/planning/consents/smc/) from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments
- consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protected-areas-sites-of-special-scientific-interest#get-consent-to-carry-out-operations-on-your-land)
- to obtain any necessary consents from the Environment Agency, Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) or Internal Drainage Board (IDB) before starting any work
You may also need to:
- get advice from your Natural England adviser if you have other archaeological or historic features on your agreement land
- apply for a felling licence (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tree-felling-licence-when-you-need-to-apply) from the Forestry Commission to carry out some activities in this action
- get a wildlife licence (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wildlife-licences) from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat
All archaeological and historic features (including scheduled monuments) are identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).

If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete what’s required in the actions you choose. You may need your landlord’s consent.

Capital grants to support this action

If you need to complete an implementation plan or a feasibility study before you apply, you can apply for capital grants plans funding (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/capital-items-guidance-for-applicants-and-agreement-holders#capital-grants-plans).

You can also apply for capital items (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/capital-items-guidance-for-applicants-and-agreement-holders) to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Natural England adviser will discuss eligible capital items with you.

Advice to help you do this action

The following optional advice may help you to do this action. Your agreement document will set out all the activities you must do.

Choosing a site

Natural England advisors or other competent technical experts can assist help you identify if whether you have a ‘priority pond’ and advise you on the best way to manage it.

Maintain a variety of different ponds. For example, in depth, size and age. Position them close to other freshwater habitats or wildlife corridors such as hedges.

Establishing a site

Blocking or removing any sources of pollution (for example, artificial drainage flowing into the pond) will help prevent polluted water getting into the pond.

Limiting or reducing fertiliser, pesticide, herbicide and soil run-off from surrounding land will help maintain clear, unpolluted water. A community approach with neighbouring landowners and managers is a good way to achieve this.

Establishing a variety of native semi-natural vegetation beyond the banks of the pond will act as a buffer and provide cover for wildlife. Countryside Stewardship revenue actions (such as BFS2: Buffer in-field ponds on arable land) can provide additional funding to manage this area.

Allowing water levels to fluctuate naturally throughout the year creates important areas of marginal habitat – these are usually underwater in winter but exposed in summer.

Seasonal ponds (that are dry for part of the year) are also important to create a mosaic of ponds across the landscape. They’re less likely to support fish that can eat amphibians and invertebrates.

Managing the pond

Manage woody growth to provide mainly ‘open’ unshaded habitat around the margin of the pond especially on the southern side. This will allow plenty of light in. Keep mature trees every so often, some low scrub and bramble to provide nectar and cover.

Allow native aquatic plants to grow above and below the water surface. Let emergent plants like reed, bulrush and sedges to grow in shallow areas.

Natural ponds will have fluctuating water levels and a drawdown ‘muddy’ zone, which is valuable for wildlife. It’s best to limit livestock access to the water edge to avoid poaching and help maintain vegetation cover and water quality.

You may need to do restoration work (such as vegetation or silt removal every so often) to maintain the footprint of the pond. If so, your agreement will state this and your Natural England adviser will provide further guidance.

Doing any substantial management works from autumn to winter generally causes the least disturbance to plants and wildlife. Consider local species and conditions when planning – your Natural England advisor can help you.

If you’re managing more than one pond, establish a rotational management system, so you manage different ponds in different years (including any surrounding scrub, trees and pond vegetation).

Try to retain some patches of existing habitat (such as leaf litter, logs and woody debris) when doing habitat improvement works.

Let nature colonise the pond naturally rather than introducing any plants or animals. Introducing wildfowl or fish (especially carp), excess angling baits and supplementary feeding of fish and waterfowl is particularly harmful to the ecology of ponds. Remove or control non-native fish, animal or plant species such as mirror or common carp and New Zealand pigmyweed. Take steps to avoid their spread to other sites.

Veterinary medicines such as ivermectin wormers and livestock insecticides (especially pyrethroids) can have a negative impact on both land and freshwater ecosystems. If you’re a livestock farmer, you could work with your vet to see if you can agree a way to reduce the impact without affecting the animal’s welfare.

Responding to climate change

Read Natural England’s publication: ‘Adaptation for habitats in Environmental Land Management Schemes’ (https://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/file/5673659512127488) to help you consider your general response to climate change. You must continue to follow the mandatory activities for this CSHT action.