Overview

The River Severn is the longest river in Britain, beginning in Mid-Wales it flows through Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, before discharging into the Bristol Channel; it is approximately 220 miles long.

Project Brief

Many fish species and wildlife lie in and around the river and a recently completed project saw a fish pass being installed, alongside the Bevere Weir in Worcestershire.

Weirs and lock were introduced to the river due to combat low water in the summer and flooding in the winter, which impacted migratory fish and the 100m bypass-channel now allows twaite shad to swim upriver towards their natural spawning ground for the first time in more than 170 years.

Other fish, such as salmon and eel will also find it easier to swim up and down the river past the weir, enabling a wide range of wildlife throughout the river ecosystem to thrive.

The bypass-channel will consist of gentle sloping ramps to create the conditions that the fish need to swim up the channel comfortably.

As part of the Unlocking the Severn project, a landscape plan has been developed in consultation with Worcestershire County Council and the Environment Agency, to maximise the opportunities for native wildlife and increase biodiversity, including wetland meadow grasses and wild flowers to provide food for bees, butterflies, dragon and damsel flies.

Solution

To support the slide slop of the fish pass, a retaining wall was required, that could be built quickly and help with the erosion control of the project. Due to the natural stone looking appearance of the Redi-Rock Ledgestone block, it was chosen to fulfil the need.

The Ledgestone block offers a deep, random textured wall in conjunction with an engineering solution. Each one tonne block interlocks with the next and is dry laid, resulting in faster installation times and costs savings.

The Redi-Rock team offers a cradle-to-grave service, with a specification manager offering support at every stage, backed by Redi-Rock engineers who will work with you to provide a fully designed solution from planning to installation.

Although the scheme was delivered six months late, due to Covid-19 and local flooding due to the weather, it has been positively received by all stakeholders, including the Environment Agency, the Canal and Rivers Trust, Severn Rivers Trust and Natural England.

Video courtesy of Unlocking the Severn.