PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
London¿s public parks make an important contribution to the quality of life of residents and visitors, and its lakes provide a valuable ecological and recreational resource. Over the last fifty years, the amenity value of park lakes in London has been reduced by poor water quality and by the erosion of their banks. The London Lakes project is a three year demonstration project which aims to develop approaches to rehabilitation and management which will be disseminated throughout Europe. The project, run by Wandsworth Borough Council, centred around three lakes in south London, King George¿s Park Lake, Tooting Common Lake and Battersea Park Lake. The objectives were as follows: · the physical rehabilitation of the three lakes, including the improvement of water quality, lake vegetation and bank areas; · the development of a land use management system for urban lake areas which can subsequently be applied elsewhere; · a demonstration of the benefits of such a scheme to the public to gain their co-operation with the maintenance of environmental standards. Water quality and ecological diversity has been significantly enhanced in the three lakes where work has been carried out. Since 1993, depending on the measures undertaken at each lake, several positive trends have been observed at the three sites, including reduced levels of phosphorus and chlorophyll, increased oxygen levels, and improved visibility; these changes are predicted to continue in the future. The lakeside environment has also been transformed with a rich variety of bankside vegetation. A comprehensive Lakes Management Manual and the detailed results derived from the findings of the LIFE project will be made available to lake managers across Europe in the form of a CD-ROM.