Nattergal High Fen

Dipmeter

Following on from the coring we completed last summer at Nattergal’s High Fen Wildland in Norfolk, Exo Environmental have been contracted to install 91 dipwells across the 292-hectare site.

A dipwell is a relatively low-cost piece of equipment, typically consisting of a perforated plastic tube, which can allow a quick measurement of ground water level to be taken using a dipmeter. These measurements will be used to monitor the rewetting of the site which is currently taking place.

High Fen was previously used to grow daffodils but was difficult to farm and has been undergoing a restoration programme since the end of 2022, when Nattergal acquired the site. The previous owners kept horses and put the former farm into grassland, with the help of Natural England’s stewardship schemes. Nattergal are building on this work and attempting to rewet substantial portions of the site, which requires extensive hydrological baselining.

The rewilding programme has so far been very successful and has seen the site growing in its potential to support a range of biodiversity. The project is one of many across the country which is seeking to not only boost biodiversity at the site but help to ensure that the carbon held within the peat located below the site remains stored.

In addition to installing dipwells at the site, 14 gauge boards were installed within dykes to monitor the water levels across the network of dykes which span the site. To install these, the Exo team used suitable PPE such as drysuits and Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs). The exact location of these gauge boards was recorded using an RTK corrected Trimble GPS SPS986, a very accurate piece of equipment which can record locations at up to 1cm accuracy.

The installation and monitoring of these dipwells will provide Nattergal with a comprehensive picture of groundwater levels spatially over time and continue to assist them with the rewilding of the site.