Editing Ouse Washes (section)

==Management and protection==

The washes are managed for traditional grazing and hay-making using professional livestock managers to determine a regime that minimises the amount of disturbance to the breeding waders and controls water levels within the washes. There are also "scrapes", areas of bare mud situated so as to be readily visible to birdwatchers. The new areas outside the washes are kept wet through a closely spaced network of ditches filled from ground [[aquifer]]s by submersible pumps, and protected by [[red fox|fox-]] and [[European badger|badger-proof]] fences.<ref name= BB115/>

It is anticipated that a combination of lower flows in the Great Ouse and higher sea water levels will make it harder to manage drainage, although more areas of shallow water might benefit potential colonising breeders including the [[glossy ibis]], [[black-winged stilt]] and various [[heron|heron and egret]] species.<ref name= BB115/>

Because of its importance to wildlife, the Ouse Washes is a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]]<ref name=dsv>{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1000503&SiteName=ouse+washes&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=  |title=Designated Sites View: Ouse Washes  | series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date =  2 August 2022}}</ref><ref name=map>{{cite web|url= http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271000503%27|title=Map of Ouse Washes|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date=  2 August 2022}}</ref> a [[Ramsar site|Ramsar]] internationally important wetland site,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/RIS/UK11051.pdf |title= Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS): Ouse Washes  |publisher=Joint Nature Conservation Committee|access-date=  2 August 2022}}</ref> a [[Special Protection Area]] for birds,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/SPA/UK9008041.pdf |title= Special Protection Areas under the EC Birds Directive: Ouse Washes |publisher=Joint Nature Conservation Committee|access-date=  2 August 2022}}</ref> a [[Special Area of Conservation]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/ProtectedSites/SACselection/sac.asp?EUCode=UK0013011 |title= Ouse Washes SAC |publisher=Joint Nature Conservation Committee|access-date=  2 August 2022}}</ref> and a [[Nature Conservation Review]] site, Grade I.<ref>{{cite book|editor-first=Derek |editor-last=Ratcliffe  |title=A Nature Conservation Review|volume=2 |page= 138|publisher= Cambridge University Press|location =Cambridge, UK  |year=1977|isbn= 0521-21403-3 }}</ref>