Editing River Welland (section)

==Wildlife==
In its upper reaches the river supports a wild [[brown trout]] population and the occasional grayling. Chub and perch dominate the middle reaches around Stamford, with pike, perch, zander, roach, bream, rudd, ruffe, gudgeon and eels inhabiting the lower lengths around Spalding.

A collaboration between the Welland Rivers Trust, the Wild Trout Trust and the Environment Agency has resulted in the construction of a rock ramp, to allow migrating [[Brown trout|sea trout]] to pass up the river beyond the weir on the Maxey Cut, which was acting as a barrier. Some 300 tons of rock, with 50 tons of finer material forming a top layer, were used to create the ramp. The finer material ensures that water mainly flows over the ramp, rather than through it. The ramp also enables young [[European eel|eels or elvers]] to move up the river, and provides habitat for [[stone loach]] and [[European bullhead|bullheads]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Rock ramp on River Welland helps sea trout to migrate |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-11950591 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=8 December 2010 |access-date=2 March 2024}}</ref>

Large numbers of swans and geese use the river around Crowland, and out to sea. Smaller populations of each can be seen around the Stamford Meadows, and further upstream.

In 2015, a [[grey seal]] found its way from the Wash up the river and spent a few weeks sleeping in gardens next to the river in Deeping St James. The seal was spotted further downstream in Spalding as it eventually made its way back to the sea.

On the south bank of the river below Fosdyke bridge, the [[Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust]] have established Moulton Marsh nature reserve, on a strip of land where soil was excavated to raise the banks in 1981. Habitat is provided by some broad-leafed woodland, covering {{convert|15|acre|ha}}, several salt-water lagoons and tidal scrapes, covering {{convert|35|acre|ha}}, and {{convert|40|acre|ha}} of saltmarsh. A variety of birds can be seen, including [[little grebe]] and [[water rail]], which spend the winter on the lagoons, while the scrapes, which consist of shallow pools and muddy shorelines, are visited by [[common redshank]] and [[little egret]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/reserves/nr/reserve.php?mapref=99 |title=Moulton Marsh |publisher=[[Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust]] |access-date=18 December 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717033537/http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/reserves/nr/reserve.php?mapref=99 |archive-date=17 July 2010 }}</ref>

Between the river mouth and the River Witham, a large expanse of saltmarsh provides breeding grounds for common redshank, [[Eurasian oystercatcher]] and [[reed bunting]] in the summer, and [[Eurasian wigeon]], [[mallard]], [[common shelduck]] and [[common teal]] in the winter. Birds of prey such as [[hen harrier]] and [[Merlin (bird)|merlin]] feed on the flocks of [[linnet]] and [[twite]], while the mudflats support [[dunlin]], [[Eurasian whimbrel]], and [[bar-tailed godwit]]. The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust have a reserve there,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/reserves/nr/reserve.php?mapref=19 |title=Frampton Marsh |publisher=Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust |access-date=25 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616181654/http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/reserves/nr/reserve.php?mapref=19 |archive-date=16 June 2011}}</ref> which is next to [[RSPB Frampton Marsh]], a reserve managed by the [[Royal Society for the Protection of Birds]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/f/framptonmarsh/about.aspx |title=About Frampton Marsh |publisher=[[RSPB]] |access-date=25 April 2011}}</ref>