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White Peak Rivers & Streams
Many of the White Peak streams are seasonal. Depending on the amount of rainfall, some streams can completely dry up in summer. In the past, this gave the streams an almost magical quality and many of the White Peak villages gave gifts to the Gods or, later, had their wells blessed to ensure the steady flow of water throughout the summer. This developed into the custom of 'well dressing', which is still practised today throughout many of the White Peak villages.
Despite the seasonal lack of water, the White Peak rivers and streams still support an incredible diversity of wildlife. Derbyshire feather-moss, carpets of watercress and crowfoot grow in the water and fish such as the bullhead and brook lamprey can be found. Birds such as the dipper or little grebe are often seen and, hiding in the shelter of a stream's rocks and stones, lives the threatened white-clawed crayfish. Grassy banks are home to the water vole. Derbyshire feather-moss (Thamnobryum angustifolium)
The only site of this moss in the entire world is found in the White Peak. It is one of a small group of mosses that have very restricted distributions. It is thought to be naturally rare rather than in decline due to any external influences. However, little is known about this moss and more work needs to be done to ensure its conservation for the future. Dipper
This distinctive bird with its white 'bib' is found on many of the White Peak rivers. It is often seen on rocks in the river, characteristically 'bobbing' before it flies across the water. White-Clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes)
This is an unmistakeable lobster-like, greenish brown crustacean with distinctive claws or pincers. They live in the clear, flowing waters of the White Peak rivers and streams, sheltering under rocks and stones during the day and mainly coming out at night. The white-clawed crayfish has suffered a significant decline in recent years due to a number of reasons. Crayfish plague from contaminated water or from introduced species has killed many. This affect has been further added to by competition for food with the signal crayfish, an American species escaped from crayfish farms that carries, but is immune to, the crayfish plague. The white-clawed crayfish could be seen as an indicator of our ability to look after the rivers and streams of the Peak District. Affected by the water quality, as well as by plague and the release of the signal crayfish, its decline and potential loss would be a sad reflection on today's society. However, it is difficult to halt the decline. In some areas in the Peak District, volunteers have helped to remove large numbers of the invasive signal crayfish, and key sites are under protective management. For more information and pictures of the white-clawed crayfish go to http://www.english-nature.org.uk/lifeinukrivers/species/crayfish.html. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
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