The western half of this nature reserve, next to the River Lea in the Lee Valley Regional Park, is managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

The SSSI also includes a meadow and lagoons owned by Thames Water south of Rye Road which is not open to the public.

Birds include kingfisher, snipe, green sandpiper, shoveler, gadwall and tufted duck.

[4] The HMWT site is an ancient flood meadow which has a variety of habitats including reedbed, marshy grassland and fen.

There is a path around the site, but a one-way turnstile blocks wheelchairs and pushchairs, and only allows access from the RSPB half to the HMWT area, not vice versa.