A
joint project between the Environment Agency,
the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust and British
Waterways has just been completed along
the River Kennet.
The £150,000 project
will reduce the risk of flooding to 271
residential and commercial properties in
Newbury. The six week project saw the old
inoperable sluice structure - situated along
the River Kennet at Bone Mill, Newbury undergo
a complete revamp to improve its lifespan
and functionality.
The work involved the
repair of the concrete base and walls and
the infilling of areas where the structure
had previously been damaged by water erosion.
The concrete base was also extended and
gabions (a stabilising device) and sheetpiles
were installed to prevent future erosion.
These measures ensure that the structure
will have at least a 50-year lifespan.
A new single gate replaced
the old sluice and frame allowing increased
water capacity to pass through the structure,
allowing the water levels in the Kennet
to be lowered more quickly and reducing
the risk of flooding upstream. These improvements
will also enable the gate to be operated
quickly and safely.
The works also included
the replacement of the old concrete footbridge
with a new wooden one with user-friendly
features including hand railing and non-slip
surfacing. The new structure is also cycle-friendly.
Newbury MP Richard Benyon
said: ”I am very pleased the Environment
Agency, the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust
and British Waterways have completed the
work at Bone Mill. This river is a vital
part of West Berkshire and these improvements
will benefit people living in and around
Newbury for many years to come.
“In particular, this
work will help play a major role in controlling
the water flow, improving water quality
and alleviating flood risk in the area”.
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We want your views on
the water environment in the Solway Tweed
River Basin District
Take a moment to think
about how much you rely on water in your
everyday life. Did you know that you can
have your say on how we will protect and
improve our water environment over the next
20 years?
The Environment Agency
and the Scottish Environment Protection
Agency (SEPA) have recently published the
draft River Basin Management Plan for the
Solway Tweed river basin district - and
now we’re seeking your views on the plan
via a six month consultation.
The plan states that
currently, 40% of the Solway Tweed’s water
environment is in good, or better, condition,
but there is still more work to do to improve
this. It explains how a range of agencies,
industry, organisations and individuals
will work together to increase the number
of water bodies (rivers, lakes, etc.) that
are in good condition by 2015.
John Collins, the Environment
Agency’s Area Manager for Lancashire and
Cumbria said: “The water environment is
an important economic and social asset for
the North West. We rely on it as a drinking
water supply and for recreation activities.
It also supports our manufacturing and farming
industries and a range of different wildlife
species.
Over the last 20 years,
we have dramatically reduced the number
of pollution incidents, which has resulted
in major improvements in our water environment.
However, pollution is not the only cause
of damage to our waters and the river basin
management plan also looks at addressing
pressures from water abstraction, impoundments,
engineering works and non-native invasive
species. The plan will help us to change
the way we manage and protect your water
environment, by setting out our vision for
the next two decades”
John continued: “It‘s
vital that as many people as possible respond
to the consultation. We encourage anyone
whose work or personal interests affect
or are affected by the water environment
to get involved, and have their say.”
Log onto on to SEPA’s
website at: www.sepa.org.uk/water/river_basin_planning.aspx,
before 22 June 2009 and let us know how
you can contribute to the protection and
improvement of one of the North West’s most
valuable assets. Your responses will help
us to develop the final plan, which will
be published in December 2009.
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Environment Agency act
to improve the River Lambourn
The Environment Agency
has begun work in Newbury to help improve
the habitat of the river Lambourn for wildlife.
Over the next three years, the public will
notice a significant improvement to the
river. We will be monitoring the fish populations
to see how quickly they improve and recording
the changes in vegetation. In the long term
we may see the return of otters and water
vole to the river.
The whole of the river
Lambourn is designated as a Site of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI) which means that
it should support a variety of wildlife.
However, historic engineering projects –
including the building of mills has meant
that the character of the river within Newbury
has changed.
Fish, plant, insect
and mammal life along the river in Newbury
has declined in comparison to the river
upstream, where it is one of the premier
rivers in the UK for wildlife.
One of the most characteristic
and important species of the river Lambourn
is the Brown Trout, who rely on fast flowing
water, clear gravels, lots of in-stream
vegetation and good numbers of insect life
to eat.
However, the speed of
the water flowing through Newbury is much
slower than it would be naturally due to
the mills that hold the water back. Over
the years, the river has been significantly
widened and deepened causing the river to
be covered in a large, thick layer of silt.
The silt prevents characteristic vegetation
from establishing, smothers the clean gravels
(which is necessary for the female fish
to lay their eggs in), and reduces habitat
for insects.
The Environment Agency
has been working in partnership with West
Berkshire Council, Natural England, The
Pang, Kennet and Lambourn Valleys Countryside
Project and The Newbury Manor Hotel on a
joint plan to improve the river.
Practical work on the
project begins this week and will be completed
in two phases over a two year period. The
works will not increase flood risk to the
area.
The Environment Agency
will be lowering the weirs in the grounds
of the hotel, to encourage the river to
flow faster. They will also be putting in
fish passes which will allow fish to move
up from the river Kennet. Previously, this
would have been impossible.
This work should mean
that the river flowing through Newbury will
hold more fish. It’s not only good news
for trout but also for other species of
fish that will be able to move up from the
river Kennet. The faster flow will help
scour some of the silt off the bed and expose
clear gravels. Over time the gravel will
be colonised by plants.
As the weirs are being
lowered, the level of the river will drop
and the width will be reduced. This means
that some of the silty margins may be exposed
temporarily.
Newbury MP Richard Benyon
said: ”Over the next three years, you will
notice a significant improvement to the
river. We look forward to seeing this chalk
river flourish once again and become the
great haven for wildlife it has the potential
to be.
We hope to make the
river Lambourn in Newbury an amazing place
for wildlife and a fantastic resource for
the people of Newbury”.
Next autumn, Environment
Agency officers will move on to the river
upstream of the hotel to implement enhancements
to help the river adapt to its new dimensions.