In 2011, the final phase of the wetland restoration project at Otmoor was finished. The reserve now boasts six new water control sluices, a new reedbed pumping system and restored wet features.
The project, started in 2007, aimed to restore the BAP habitat floodplain grazing marsh across the Otmoor basin, providing a haven for hundreds of creatures, such as bitterns, brown hares, dragonflies and black hairstreak butterflies. With funding from Valencia Communities Fund, administered by TOE, the project was extended to install extra sluices, meaning that water control on the site is even more efficient. These water-control features replace old, electric water pumps, reducing energy consumption on the reserve. Otmoor has now become a wonderful wetland sanctuary for declining wading birds such as lapwings and redshanks. These birds are heavily reliant on varied water levels and elevations, food found in exposed mud banks and open views, particularly while nesting. By varying the water levels regularly, creating ditches and scrapes, and flooding parts of the site, the Otmoor Wetland Restoration Project helps to provide an environment that protects and nurtures some of the UK's best-loved birds
