In search of the reservoir rangers
Yorkshire Water recruits team to care for its sites and alert the public to dangers of swimming and fires
GLORIOUS LANDSCAPES surrounding the region’s reservoirs have long proved popular – increasingly so as more people are drawn to the countryside.
But with more visitors comes a need for “boots on the ground”, Yorkshire Water has said, as it looks to bring in countryside rangers to care for its sites.
This is a rare job – to be the “smiling, welcoming face” for visitors and dog walkers to some of Yorkshire’s greenest landscapes, but also to serve as a reminder of the dangers of reservoir swimming and fires.
Alastair Harvey is lead countryside and woodland advisor for Yorkshire Water. He said these are unique places.
“A lot of people see the reservoirs as natural landscapes, but they are all man-made,” he said. “Some, built to keep water flowing, others for drinking water. They are some of the region’s most picturesque locations.
“Our sites have always been popular. In the lockdown period, it became almost over burdened. If a fire broke out in a wood, it could potentially take a reservoir out of supply.
“We’ve realised we need boots on the ground,” he added. “To have that on site presence, to deliver that safety message and education, and to engage with visitors.
“We want people to come and enjoy our sites. The vast majority do that sensibly. We have a small minority who don’t.”
Yorkshire Water’s reservoir settings stretch from Cod Beck in the North York Moors to Redmires south of Sheffield, with Langsett, Scammonden, and Fewston among its group.
The utility company is now recruiting a lead ranger, whose role will be to oversee a team of nine – three for each of its North, South and Western districts.
In the past, it’s had a more “passive” approach, said Mr Harvey, with a very small team looking after all sites and contractors and agreements to cut grass and pick up litter. This will be the first time it employs in-house rangers, checking fences, gates and car parks, while keeping an eye out for storm damage and litter. They are to be the “friendly face of Yorkshire Water”, promoting access, conservation and the countryside.
There is also a serious side to engagement, added Mr Harvey.
He said: “Unfortunately we have a lot of swimming in our reservoirs, though there is signage to warn of the dangers.
“A sign can tell you not to do something, but if it’s a person telling you, that message is more likely to be received. The rangers can be there to deliver that.
“That ‘boots on the ground’ is something we need, as more people enjoy the countryside, and more pressure is brought to these sites. The Countryside Code has been around a long time, but it’s sometimes forgotten or not always followed. It’s about enjoying your visit, but doing it respectfully to the site.”
We need boots on the ground – to have that on site presence Alastair Harvey, Yorkshire Water.
WHAT more worthwhile and satisfying role could there be than protecting some of Yorkshire’s most glorious landscapes, whilst also helping visitors enjoy them?
This is the job of Yorkshire Water’s new rangers, who will be both champions and guardians of reservoirs and the surrounding areas which attract increasing numbers of people to the countryside.
The twin aims of the new service go hand in hand. Visiting the great outdoors promotes both physical and mental well-being, and is to be encouraged. But visitors need to appreciate that our loveliest places are also fragile environments and have to be treated with sensitivity.
Increasing understanding of that can only enhance the joy that so many gain from glorying in the landscapes and breathing the fresh air.
The rangers will play a vital role in ensuring that the countryside remains as breathtaking for future generations as it is for those of today.