Background Information
This historic park lake is a designated SSSI and SPA, owned by the MOD and leased to a local military fishing club. Legislation under the reservoirs act had resulted in the water level of the lake being permanently reduced. This eased pressure on the vulnerable dam wall but rendered the existing fishing platforms unsuitable.
Scope of the Project
Aquamaintain Ltd designed a sensitive restoration scheme that encompassed site won materials from the creation of additional bog pool habitat for the designated Sphagnum Mosses found around the lake. Water depths in front of the existing fishing platforms were so shallow that it made the safe landing of fish very difficult. By using a combination of extending out the banks and deepening the areas in front of the fishing platforms, it made angling possible again in this area of the lake. The new embankment also generated scope for introducing a more diverse marginal habitat, through the planting of aquatic plants.
Our Solution
Fishing platforms were constructed from timber felled from around the pond margins to increase light penetration levels and to encourage marginal vegetation. These were then filled with dredging’s from the pond bed to create greater water depths in front of the platforms.
The bays between the platforms were constructed from locally sourced Hazel and Chestnut. This was backfilled with material excavated from the construction of additional bog pool habitat to encourage the growth of the sites designated moss species. The scheme was then planted using vegetation transplanted from the surrounding marshland.
Particular attention was given to the sites environmentally sensitive nature. Site operations were conducted in accordance with our specialist environmental policy and our ‘tread lightly’ approach to restoration on this important SSSI.
