The Basingstoke Canal is a rich wildlife habitat with more types of aquatic plants recorded than any other waterway in Britain. Most of the Canal is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
JPR Environmental installed over 100 linear metres of willow spiling lined with geotextile to create an area to be back-filled with dredging from the canal to form 3 marsh habitats.
In addition, a 120m wall was constructed at the elbow of the canal near the bridge, with geotextile, stakes and coir rolls to recreate a 0.5 hectare area that had once been marsh but was cleared during renovations. This area will be back-filled over the next few years with dredgings from the canal.
Particular problems overcome during the project included working at depths of up to 1.5m and manually driving the stakes in sufficiently to ensure stability.
The project was undertaken using little machinery and in the winter to minimise the impact on local wildlife and inhabitants. |
