FiveRivers were contracted by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust to deliver a multi-benefits River Restoration project including the reinstatement of a palaeochannel on the River Avon.
The project incorporated the lowering of the floodplain and the installation of a variety of wetland features. The overarching goal was to enhance the water quality of the River Avon and enhance habitats. Given a wide design brief, we tailored the works to achieve the best possible environmental improvements.
Project requirements
Tasks
- Construction of a new river channel
- Connection with existing channel
- Creation of two new wetland features
- Lowering of the floodplain for additional capacity
- Importing gravels to the new river channel
- Installation of large woody material in the channel
- Reinstatement of turfs to promote colonisation and increase vegetation cover
- Improvement of habitats for key species such as Water vole, Atlantic salmon, Brown Trout and Desmoulin’s whorl snail.
- Design variations to improve water quality
- Use of site won materials
Our approach
Key remarks
- Five Rivers were commissioned by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust to carry out river restoration and habitat enhancement works on the River Avon.
- The work was carried out on MOD land so permissions and daily communications were vital.
- Multi skilled site team carried out a variety of works including water vole searches, excavations, tree works, pinning large woody material and installing imported gravels in a safe and efficient manner.
- The restoration project sought to reinstate natural form and flow function by utilising site won materials such as gravels and timber.
- Restoration works were undertaken in order to restore flow velocity, enhance channel dynamics, and thus in-channel plant communities, invertebrate numbers and fish habitat
Project outcomes
Effects
- Paleochannel reinstated
- Improved water quality
- Increased wetland habitats
- Floodplain reconnected to the river
- Increased variety of in-channel habitats
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Our services
Services implemented.
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Martin Whitfield
Managing Director
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Telephone: 01722 783 041
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