Last month Defra announced that they are finally going to give the threatened mammal the vital protection it needs to survive, writes JULIA ARMSTONG

The plop' of a water vole launching itself into the clear water of a river or stream was once a common sound, especially along the Thames, running through the heart of our county. Unfortunately, these loveable creatures have been in decline for a century and have disappeared from some areas in the British Isles. In the 1990s, surveys of water voles in the River Thames catchment area discovered a dramatic decrease in numbers - over just five years, the population fell by two thirds.

So Defra's announcement that from next month water voles are to be protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act is great news for this rare mammal, but also a feather in the cap for conservation groups. The Environment Agency, who championed the change, needed information from the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust and others to be able to secure this vital protection.

Under the original legislation from 1981, only the homes of water voles were protected, preventing them suffering from the destruction of important wetland habitat which has played a large part in their decline. But this was not enough to stop the water vole disappearing.

Full protection was proposed under a review of the act so they now cannot be killed, injured or taken from the wild. It will mean a builder will need to get a licence to relocate a water vole habitat so the work can go ahead.

Other species on the protection list such as otters and dormice have already benefited from this legislation.

Otters were once hunted for their fur, suffered from pollution and the destruction of their wetland homes. They teetered on the edge of extinction.

The legal protection, the hard work of conservationists and the cleaning up of our rivers have led to the mammal's stead return.

But will the water vole follow suit?

For the past decade, BBOWT has been working hard to ensure thy survive across the three counties, by improving wetland habitats and working to protect them from the voracious, non-native American mink.

In particular, the change will help the Water Vole Recovery Project, which is funded by the Environment Agency and British Waterways. The dedicated officer works closely with landowners, developers and volunteers to look after the homes of water voles - the rivers, streams, canals and ponds.

As part of the project, a team of trained volunteers monitor colonies and identify new sites. Spotting the animal itself may be lucky, but more conclusive evidence of their presence can be measured, namely looking for piles of half eaten stems and inspecting droppings.

In our county, remaining strongholds include the Oxford Canal and BBOWT's own Lashford Lane Fen Nature Reserve at Dry Sandford.

Phil Cutt, a water vole surveyor, said: "Learning the skills needed to spot the signs of water voles along the riverbank or among the reeds in a pond has been a really good experience. Being able to visit beautiful parts of our county and see the interesting wildlife we have, while knowing that what I'm doing will help a really vulnerable creature, is very rewarding."

The legal protection will be particularly helpful in stopping the killing of water voles through pest control. It is often the case that the destroying of whole populations can occur, simply due to a family resemblance.

Known as the water rat' or Ratty' to many, and similar in appearance to the brown rat, there is a common misconception that the water vole is a rat and should be treated as vermin.

Controlling brown rat populations, especially in towns, can lead to accidental poisioning or trapping of water voles. It will now be up to those carrying out pest control to ensure that they do not harm water voles by checking for their presence and avoiding the use of poison.

The future is looking bright for this adorable animal and BBOWT can continue its work safe in the knowledge that it has the full force of the law behind it. If you want to get involved in helping BBOWT protect water voles call 01865 775476 or visit www.bbowt.org.uk.

Julia Armstrong is the Water Vole Project Officer for BBOWT.