Rainworth Water

Rainworth Water is a watercourse that is a tributary of the River Maun near Rainworth, Nottinghamshire, England. It is also a local nature reserve (LNR) owned and managed by Nottinghamshire County Council. Grid Reference: SK 598 595.

Rainworth Water LNR was once part of Rufford Colliery, which created the spoil heaps that form a bowl around the watercourse. The spoil heaps were restored after the colliery closure and the planting of thousands of broadleaved trees and other woodland species have stabilised the ground. The Water itself is a wetland habitat consisting of artificial pools, shallows and meanders that appear natural and support dragonflies and damselflies. Marshy areas have developed naturally alongside the watercourse since restoration, as have open grassland and dense scrubland. A colony of Dingy Skipper butterflies, which are rare within Nottinghamshire, inhabits the open grasslands.

The area was declared a Local Nature Reserve in 2005. Most maintenance work on the reserve is conducted by Nottinghamshire County Council but some is undertaken by the Friends of Tippings Wood.

References

* [http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/environment/countryside/nature_conservation/countryside_helping/nottinghamshirelocalnaturereserves.htm 'Nature Conservation: Doing your bit - Nottinghamshire LNRs', Nottinghamshire County Council, 2006] . Retrieved May 31 2007.