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Special Areas of Conservation

Oak Mere

Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Country England
Unitary Authority Cheshire
Centroid* SJ573679
Latitude 53.20583333
Longitude -2.638888889
SAC EU Code UK0012970
Status Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Area (ha) 68.53
* This is the approximate central point of the SAC. In the case of large, linear or composite sites, this may not represent the location where a feature occurs within the SAC.
Location of Oak Mere SAC

General site character

  • Inland water bodies (Standing water, Running water) (30%)
  • Bogs, Marshes, Water fringed vegetation, Fens (10%)
  • Dry grassland, Steppes (10%)
  • Improved grassland (20%)
  • Other arable land (10%)
  • Broad-leaved deciduous woodland (5%)
  • Coniferous woodland (5%)
  • Mixed woodland (10%)

Download the Standard Data Form for this site (PDF <100kb)

Note When undertaking an appropriate assessment of impacts at a site, all features of European importance (both primary and non-primary) need to be considered.

Annex I habitats that are a primary reason for selection of this site

  • 3110 Oligotrophic waters containing very few minerals of sandy plains (Littorelletalia uniflorae)

    Oak Mere, in the West Midlands of England, is a lake formed within sediments that are low in nutrients and oligotrophic. It is a large waterbody that has formed in a kettle hole in the fluvio-glacial sands of the Cheshire Plain. The site has clear water of low nutrient status characteristic of oligotrophic waters and a marginal zone of shoreweed Littorella uniflora. The site supports an assemblage of plants that are now rare in the lowlands of England, including floating mats of bog-moss Sphagnum spp. and the scarce narrow small-reed Calamagrostis stricta.

  • 7140 Transition mires and quaking bogs

    Open water and peat deposits lie in this kettle-hole depression within Delamere Forest, and peat-cutting has given rise to additional pools and fens. The water is acidic, but slightly nutrient-rich. There are transitions at the water’s edge with soft rush Juncus effusus, water horsetail Equisetum fluviatile, common spike-rush Eleocharis palustris, marsh pennywort Hydrocotyle vulgaris, the moss Drepanocladus fluitans and bulrush Typha latifolia. Small depressions in the peat are occupied by bottle sedge Carex rostrata, common cottongrass Eriophorum angustifolium, purple moor-grass Molinia caerulea, cross-leaved heath Erica tetralix and round-leaved sundew Drosera rotundifolia.

Annex I habitats present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for selection of this site

  • Not Applicable

Annex II species that are a primary reason for selection of this site

  • Not Applicable

Annex II species present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for site selection

  • Not Applicable

Many designated sites are on private land: the listing of a site in these pages does not imply any right of public access.