14/08/2026
It was another hot day at Bradford Moor Park on Wednesday, as we returned to preform another water test and add a couple more plants to the pond. A huge thank you to Ned for all your support, and business in the Community Business in the Community which funded this project. Thank you to John Dallas Outdoor Education for all your expertise.
We met with members of the Friends of Bradford Moor Park to help them conduct a water test. Regular testing will inform them if the water quality is improving. Thank you to Yorkshire Water for providing the tests. We also provided them with a few extra things such as syringes, gloves and a notebook to record their findings.
The readings for ammonia are still not what they should be and are at dangerous levels. Phosphate levels are very high too.
A reading of 3.02ppm ammonia is dangerous and severely toxic to fish and other pond life. It also creates low oxygen in the water. When the water is warm it also makes the problem much worse. As we all understand we are in our fifth heatwave and in the midst of a climate crisis. All of this helps to foster algae blooms.
High ammonia levels are often caused by waste and excess food in the water. This brings us on to a major concern. Well meaning people feeding the ducks and other birds with bread. We witnessed this whilst visiting and the Friends of Bradford Moor Park have informed people of its dangers in the past. Bread is the worst thing to feed birds. It offers no nutritional value, as it does not provide them with the vitamins and proteins they need. Wet bread that is left and goes moldy can cause harm, to birds.
Uneaten bread sinks to the bottom of the pond and as it breaks down it releases bacteria and ammonia into the water. This decaying process then uses up the oxygen in the water, which is why the representative from Yorkshire Water, was also concerned about the oxygen levels when he took readings during our previous visit. As you can see this is a vicious circle in which no wildlife benefits and then we compound that with the impact of climate change. It does not make for a healthy pond environment. To some it may appear well on surface, the danger lies beneath.
We are working with the team at Bradfords Moor Park to help them improve their water feature. We have introduced plants to help oxygenate the pond, and have also added Barley straw bales to tackle the high levels of ammonia. We cannot do this alone. We also need the help of the public who visit the pond. We understand that many people enjoy the connection of feeding wildlife and the sense that they are helping in a way they feel is best. However, we can’t stress enough, we should not be feeding bread and other inappropriate foods to ducks and other birds, especially in a pond already struggling with water quality. In an attempt to help birds, people are inadvertently making the situation much worse.
We ask you to join us in protecting this pond for wildlife. It needs to be a team effort, and if we all do our bit, things will change for the better. Please share this information far and wide.
On a more positive note, we added another marsh marigold into the pond, along with hornwort to help oxygenate the water. These will become established and spread over the next few months. These are native UK grown plants from Woodbank Nurseries - Harden, Bingley
It was wonderful to see purple loosestrife happily growing wild and free around the pond and in some of the floating islands. Also known as willow w**d or rainbow w**d, it is adding a pop of colour to the scene, as well as providing food for pollinators. It was great to see that gypsywort has also found a home at the side of the water. This is a native perennial which is part of the mint family and thrives near water. It was buzzing with bees and hoverflies. Free native plants are a bonus for biodiversity.
For more images from our visit please see our album. ☺️
Friends of Bradford Moor Park
Bradford District Parks
Bradford Council
