Widewater Lagoon is a Local Nature Reserve in Lancing in

West Sussex West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ar ...

. It is owned by West Sussex County Council and managed by Lancing Parish Council. This coastal saline lagoon is separated from Lancing Beach by a man-made shingle bank. The water is brackish and there are wildfowl such as

heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...

s and

swan Swans are birds of the family (biology), family Anatidae within the genus ''Cygnus''. The swans' closest relatives include the goose, geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form t ...

s. A survey of the lagoon in 2013 found a wide range of flora and fauna including the rare water beetle '' Enochrus bicolor.'' There is access from Brighton Road, West Beach Road and via the footpath and cycle path running eastwards from Lancing beach green. The Ivell's sea anemone is only known from this lagoon.

References

{{Local Nature Reserves in West Sussex Local Nature Reserves in West Sussex