Barton Broad is a large lake that forms part of the River Ant which gives its name to a nature reserve north-east of Norwich in Norfolk. The reserve is owned and managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. It is part of the Ant Broads and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest and National Nature Reserve, and part of it is in the Ant Marshes Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I. It is part of the Broadland Ramsar site and Special Protection Area, and The Broads Special Area of Conservation.
History
During the 13th and 14th centuries, large quantities of peat were extracted in Norfolk, and most of the peat extraction was organised by the monks of St Benet's Abbey, the ruins of which are located on the bank of the River Bure, a short distance downstream from its junction with the River Ant. Barton Broad was created in this way in the Middle Ages, and the River Ant was diverted through the peat workings in around 1730, to allow navigation. The activity of the monks was forgotten, but in 1834 Samuel Woodward suggested that the broads might be artificial, rather than naturally occurring features, after studies of Barton Broad. There are several staithes connected to the broad by channels, including Catfield Wood End staithe to the east and Old Lime Kiln Dyke which ends at a staithe at Neatishead to the west. Britain's first solar powered passenger boat, called Ra, operated from Neatishead staithe.
Photographs taken in the late-19th and early-20th centuries show that water quality at the time was good, supporting large lily beds with reed swamp fringing the banks of the broad. In the 1800s, the broad consisted of of open water, surrounded by of reed swamp. To reduce nitrogen levels, local farmers were given advice about how to use chemicals more responsibly through an education programme. Responsibility for the Broads changed in 1988, when they became a National Park, and the Broads Authority was set up in 1989 to manage the park.
The fourth stage used bio-manipulation, a process developed by the Broads Authority and the Environment Agency. This uses daphnia, commonly known as water fleas, which naturally filter water and remove bacteria and algae from it. However, they are usually eaten by small fish at a faster rate than they can remove the algae. To overcome this problem, pike and perch were introduced to the Broad, and significantly reduced the numbers of small fish, allowing the daphnia to thrive. This process could not be applied to the whole lake, and so controlled areas were created, separated from the body of the Broad by butyl rubber skirts, attached to a floation collar at the top and a weighted collar at the bottom to act as a seal onto the bed of the lake. Gauze filters at intervals along the skirts allowed water to pass between controlled and non-controlled areas, but prevented the passage of fish. Pleasure Island was reconstructed using gabions filled with stone pebbles to rebuild the edge of the island, which were covered in coir matting planted with reed-swamp flowers. The surface of the island was built up with dredgings topped with peat, and planted with wild flowers.
thumb|right|Sailing boat on Barton Broad
There is public access to the Barton Broad reserve. The Millennium Commission grant was conditional on public access being improved, and a number of boardwalks were created to allow pedestrians to view and enjoy the broad and nature reserve. The Clear Water 2000 project also included funding for an electric boat and charging shed, but by the time it was purchased, the design had changed a little, and the boat had a roof covered in solar cells to recharge the batteries. The boat was named Ra, and the facilities provided for it on shore were fully compliant with the access for all legislation, enabling wheelchair users to use them and to access the boat. A second boat, the Electric Eel, offered trips along the narrow channels at the edge of the Broad, and canoes can be used to investigate the really narrow connecting waterways. Norfolk Wherries are again able to enter the Broad because of its increased depth, and it is possible to hire one, including a skipper and a cook for a leisurely cruise. Both Ra and Electric Eel have since moved to other locations.