View source for Nene Washes

{{Short description|Wetland in Cambridgeshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox SSSI
|image=  Distant swans, Guyhirn Wash - The Nene Washes - geograph.org.uk - 1737307.jpg
|image_caption =  
|name=  Nene Washes
|aos=  Cambridgeshire
|interest=Biological
|gridref={{gbmappingsmall| TL 307 999  }}<ref name=dsv/>
|area=   1,522.1 hectares<ref name=dsv/>
|notifydate=        1983<ref name=dsv/>
|map=[http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271002071%27  ''Magic Map''] 
}}
{{Designation list
| designation1 = Ramsar
| designation1_offname = Nene Washes
| designation1_date = 5 March 1993
| designation1_number = 587<ref name = Ramsar>{{Cite web|title=Nene Washes|website=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/587|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>}}
'''Nene Washes''' is a {{convert|1,522|ha|adj=on}} biological [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] on the bank of the [[River Nene]] east of [[Peterborough]] in [[Cambridgeshire]], England.<ref name=dsv>{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1002071&SiteName=nene&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=  |title=Designated Sites View: Nene Washes  | series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date =   12 December 2016}}</ref><ref name=map>{{cite web|url= http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271002071%27|title=Map of Nene Washes|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date=   12 December 2016}}</ref> It is also a [[Ramsar site|Ramsar]] internationally important wetland site,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/RIS/UK11046.pdf |title= Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS): Nene Washes  |publisher=Joint Nature Conservation Committee|access-date=  11 December 2016}}</ref> a [[Special Area of Conservation]],<ref name = SAC>{{cite web|url= https://sac.jncc.gov.uk/site/UK0030222 |title= Nene Washes |publisher=Joint Nature Conservation Committee|access-date=  20 March 2020}}</ref> a [[Special Protection Area]]<ref>{{cite web|url=  http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=2005|title= SPA description: Nene Washes |publisher=Joint Nature Conservation Committee|access-date=  11 December 2016}}</ref> and a [[Nature Conservation Review]] site.<ref name=citation>{{cite web|url= http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002071.pdf|title= Nene Washes citation|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher= Natural England|access-date= 12 December 2016|archive-date= 24 October 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121024195236/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002071.pdf|url-status= dead}}</ref> An area of {{convert|280|ha|acres}} is managed by the [[Royal Society for the Protection of Birds]].<ref name = rspb>{{cite web|url=http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/find-a-reserve/reserves-a-z/reserves-by-name/n/nenewashes/|title=Nene Washes|publisher=Royal Society for the Protection of Birds|access-date=  11 December 2016}}</ref><ref name=bird/> The total area of the Ramsar site is {{convert|1,517|ha|acres}}.<ref name = Ramsar/>

This is described by [[Natural England]] as one of Britain's few remaining areas of washland which are vital for the survival of wildfowl and waders. It is used as a flood storage reservoir for the River Nene and is flooded for most of the winter and is pasture in the summer. It is important for birds all year. In the wintering wildfowl include [[Anas penelope|wigeons]], [[Anas crecca|teals]], [[Northern pintail|pintails]] and [[Bewick's swan]]s. In the breeding season the nesting species include [[common crane]], [[black-tailed godwit]], [[garganey]] and [[common snipe]]. The cranes also winter in the area and flock in nearby fields. They reserve is also good for birds of prey including [[Western marsh harrier]], [[Eurasian hobby]] and [[short-eared owl]].<ref name =  rspb/>

The rich flora in ditches include uncommon species such as [[Hydrocharis morsus-ranae|frogbit]], [[Hottonia palustris|water violet]] and [[Butomus umbellatus|flowering rush]].<ref name=citation/> There is also an important population of [[Cobitis taenia|spined loach]] in the drainage channels in and around the washes, and the presence of this species is one of the primary reasons for the site's designation as a Special Area of Conservation.<ref name = SAC/>

There is access to the RSPB reserve immediately east of the B1040 road from [[Nene Way]]. The western end is private land with no public access.<ref name=bird>{{cite web|url=http://dingsbirdgroup.weebly.com/nene-washes-rspb.html|title=RSPB and Nene Washes|publisher=Peterborough Bird Club|access-date=  11 December 2016}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{commons category|Nene Washes}}

{{coord|  52.58| -0.07  |type:landmark_region:GB-BNE|display=title}}
{{SSSIs Cambridgeshire}}

[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cambridgeshire]]
[[Category:Ramsar sites in England]]
[[Category:Special Protection Areas in England]]
[[Category:Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserves in England]]
[[Category:Nature Conservation Review sites]]
[[Category:River Nene]]