A unique Bracknell Lake has been made a state of importance by local councils after rare aquatic plants started to disappear.

Due to local developments, the acid lake which has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest has become over-polluted throughout the years.

The lake has developed polluted surface water and sediment build up on the sea bed, affecting and killing plant life.

Thames Water alongside Wokingham Council have committed themselves from 2023 to improving the water quality of Heath Lake situated in Crowthorne.

A spokesperson from Thames Water said: “As the local area has developed, surface water carrying silt from new developments has been diverted directly to the lake through 5 surface water outfalls and has led to sediment building up on the bottom of the lake over many years.

“This has impacted the water quality, resulting in the lake failing to meet several key environmental objectives, leading to rare aquatic plants that reside at the lake disappearing.”

Due to the unique features of Heath Lake, the woodland surrounding it has also been designated as a Local Nature Reserve. This has caused Thames Water to review light levels reaching the lake which will minimise shoreline disturbance.

Thames Water added: “To help improve water quality and provide better conditions for the rare plants, we are developing plans for the removal of the accumulated silt.

"The removal of silt will allow the rare plants that have been lost to re-establish, improving the flora and fauna of the lake.

“We also plan to install a small number of below-ground silt traps to catch sediment in the surface water network before it flows into the lake.

This will also create areas of new wildlife habitat; and provide new viewpoints of the lake for the local community.

To determine the ecological integrity of the body of water, crews will be undertaking surveys for the next year on and around the Crowthorne lake.

Work will begin in Autumn 2023 and finish by Spring 2024.

This will be beneficial for the ecosystems in the area and the looking community frequenting the beautiful Crowthorne lake.