The Little Ouse Headwaters Project (LOHP) was set up in 2002 by local residents to promote conservation and enjoyment of the fenland habitats bordering the upper reaches of the River Little Ouse

River Little Ouse

The Little Ouse is a river in the east of England, a tributary of the River Great Ouse. For much of its length it defines the boundary between Norfolk and Suffolk....

, which lies on the Norfolk

Norfolk

Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...

-Suffolk

Suffolk

Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...

 border. The site lies between Blo' Norton

Blo' Norton

Blo' Norton is a village and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England, on the River Little Ouse, not far from Diss. The parish had a population of 270 in approximately 100 households, according to the 2001 census....

 and Thelnetham.

The project encompases a number of areas including: Hinderclay Fen, Blo' Norton Fen, Betty's Fen, The Frith, Blo' Norton Lowes, Blo' Norton Little Fen and Parker's Piece. The area also includes two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

The project is a registered charity and holds monthly work parties to manage the habitat of the various fens.

The Little Ouse Headwaters Project won the CIWEM/RSPB Living Wetlands Award in 2006.

Both the River Waveney

River Waveney

The Waveney is a river which forms the border between Suffolk and Norfolk, England, for much of its length within The Broads.-Course:The source of the River Waveney is a ditch on the east side of the B1113 road between the villages of Redgrave, Suffolk and South Lopham, Norfolk...

 and the River Little Ouse have their sources at Redgrave Fen. The Waveney runs eastwards - forming the border between Norfolk and Suffolk - while the Little Ouse flows westwards and eventually joins the River Great Ouse

River Great Ouse

The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...

 at Denver Sluice.

The Project

The LOHP has won awards for its work as a conservation organisation. These include the prestigious Living Wetlands award, and Suffolk's 'greenest county' award for community action.

History

After the Second World War the course of the River Little Ouse was over-deepened which led to the drying-out of the surrounding fen and the conversion of much of the land to arable use. The ending of traditional management practices and the lowering of the water table also led to increased dehydration which caused a decline in the bio-diversity of the area. The work carried out by the Little Ouse Headwaters Project has helped to reverse these effects.