The Dipper population in the five valleys of Stroud is an unusual group, and is geographically relatively isolated from other known breeding sites in England and south Wales.
The Stroud Valleys waterways run over the underlying Jurassic limestone of the Cotswolds, giving rise to a calcareous riverine habitat.Heavy modification of these waterways has occurred over the years due to the success of the wool industry in Stroud, with almost 200 water mills within the area at its peak. Disappointingly, the chemical status of some of waterways in the area are classed as a ‘fail’ by Natural England (NE).
Whilst the River Frome,Stroud water and Thames and Severn canals, and Toadsmoor Brook are rated as ‘moderate’ ecological status, the Nailsworth and Painswick Streams are rated as good.
Dippers occur across a wide section of the catchment, including within the town centre at Stroud. However, nothing is known about the size, density, trends and distribution of the population. Nor is it known why the Dippers are actually in the Five Valleys of Stroud (their ecological niche). This is why the project was established, to try and answer some of these fundamental questions and set a baseline for long-term monitoring of the Stroud Valleys population.
