Dirty Work but Someone Has to Do It

press release

Issued: 11 October 2013

DIRTY WORK BUT SOMEONE HAS TO DO IT

Thousands of tonnes of silt dredged from the bed of the River Trent

The final stage of a £1m project to dredge 50,000 tonnes of sand, gravel and silt from the bed of the River Trent is starting next week.

The Canal & River Trust, the charity that cares for 2,000 miles of waterways in England & Wales,has been carrying out the work since July to make it easier for leisure boats and cargo barges to cruise up and down the river.

The project, the first major dredging campaign on the Trent for over ten years, has focussed on a 72km stretch of the river between Holme Lock south of Nottingham and Marton near Gainsborough.

A floating digger has been used to dredge out the material and load it into waiting barges before being taken away. Amongst the spots targeted are Gunthorpe, Hazelford, Torksey, Newark and Cromwell.

Over time muddy water from fields and surrounding land gets washed into the river from rainfall and the sediment is gradually deposited on the river bed. If this sediment builds up then boats can have difficulty travelling along the river and, in extreme cases, can get stuck on the bottom. A build-up of mud can even affect the flow of the river.

Sean McGinley, waterway manager for the East Midlands said; “The build-up of sediment is an entirely natural process but it’s our job to keep an eye on it and to take action when it’s needed. It’s not a glamorous job by any stretch of the imagination but it’s important to the boaters visiting and the businesses that depend on the river. This is the biggest dredging project we’ve had in quite a while and we’re pleased that our efforts will make life on the water that biteasier.”

The dredged material will be taken away to licensed tips with 10,000 tonnesbeing putinto the Lafarge gravel pits alongside the river at Cromwell. The work has been carried out by specialist contractor Land & Water.

ENDS

For further media requests please contact:

Stephen Hardy, Canal & River Trust, communications manager

t01636 675703m07920 077190e

Notes to editors:

The Canal & River Trust is the guardian of 2,000 miles of historic waterways across England and Wales.We are among the largest charities in the UK, maintaining the nation’s third largest collection of Listed structures, as well as museums, archives, navigations and hundreds of important wildlife sites.

We believe that our canals and rivers are a national treasure and a local haven for people and wildlife. It is our job to care for this wonderful legacy – holding it in trust for the nation in perpetuity and giving people a greater role in the running of their local waterways