RARE water voles found in Glasgow’s east end have been relocated ahead of Scottish Water carrying out essential drainage work in the area.
A specialist team of ecologists safely relocated the protected animals – part of a nationally significant population unique to Glasgow – from land in the Wellhouse area to a suitable nearby habitat, ensuring the voles are safeguarded ahead of work to construct a new sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) detention basin.
Unlike their cousins, which typically live beside rivers and streams, Glasgow’s fossorial voles have adapted to an urban, grassland existence – burrowing underground in parks, road verges, and open ground across the city’s east end. First discovered in 2008, the population is recognised as being of national importance.
After becoming aware of the presence of the water voles during ecology surveys, Scottish Water worked with Glasgow City Council, NatureScot, and Seven Lochs Wetland Park to ensure they could be safely relocated in order to allow the essential drainage project to go ahead.
Scottish Water’s alliance team manager, Steven Greenhill, said, “Scottish Water takes its role and responsibility to protect the local environment very seriously, which is why we’ve undertaken a very significant amount of work to ensure the protection of these very rare voles. Our thanks to all the partners involved for their knowledge and expertise in both trapping and relocating the voles safely. We are now working hard to deliver this important drainage project for our customers in Wellhouse.”
Associate director of ecology at Tetra Tech, Julia Ferguson, added, “Glasgow’s fossorial water voles are truly remarkable – they’re one of the few known populations in the UK to have adapted to living in urban grasslands away from water. We’ve been carefully trapping and relocating the voles to a suitable nearby habitat, and hope to see this new area act as an important connecting habitat for fragmented water vole colonies in the area.”
The SUDS project will prevent as much rainwater entering the combined sewer network, reducing the risk of the system becoming overwhelmed during periods of heavy rain.
The project is being delivered by Caledonia Water Alliance (CWA) on behalf of Scottish Water, with work expected to be complete by summer 2027.
