Gloucester Docks is suffering because it supplied Bristol with drinking water during drought by | Gloucester News Centre - http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk/
Gloucester Docks is suffering with low depths because of silty water which was pumped into the canal to supply Bristol with drinking water.
Businesses say they missed out on trade over Easter because boats could not moor at the Docks
The Canal and River Trust says it has been dredging to increase the depth for boats since November.
And so far they have removed enough silt to fill eight Olympic-sized swimming pools.
But the high levels of siltation in the Docks are a result of last year’s drought when the River Severn was at historic lows.
River water was pumped into the Gloucester and Sharpenss Canal which brought in very high levels of silt into the Docks.
The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal provides the source of up to half of Bristol’s drinking water and needed to be protected, the trust said.
The trust says it has also face challenges due to soaring inflation and dredging projects have to be conducted sensitively due to the proximity of environmentally important sites.
“Since November last year the trust has removed over 670,979 cubic feet of silt from the Docks in Gloucester – that’s about as much to fill nearly eight Olympic sized swimming pools,” a spokesperson said.
“The Trust has invested over £1 million in 2022-23 to improve navigation in the Docks.
“The high levels of siltation in the Docks this year are a result of the exceptional weather conditions we experienced last year when the River Severn levels were at historic lows, which brought in very high levels of silt into the Docks.
“It was vital to ensure the availability of drinking water supply to Bristol that we pumped water in from the river to the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal as this provides the source of up to half of Bristol’s drinking water requirements and needed to be protected.
“We have targeted our available dredging project resources to address key priority areas for our customers to ensure a navigable channel across the Dock, and to berths in Victoria Basin and the Barge Arm.
“Dredging projects of this scale within such close proximity to environmentally sensitive internationally protected sites like the River Severn are complicated by both technical, environmental and legal constraints.”
The trust says it will be developing sustainable options for the next phase of work at the Docks over the course of the next few months. This will ensure that the Docks are ready for the Tall Ships festival in 2024.
They also say they would welcome any support that partners can give as they face financial challenges due to inflation.
“We understand the importance of the Docks for local businesses, and for the community and visitor economy, and recognise the vital role we have to play in sustaining the Docks with the support of other key partners.
“However, the Trust faces challenges to provide the scale of investment needed to address the exceptional silt build-up in this past year, at a time when we also face soaring inflation. We would welcome any support that partners can give as we continue to tackle this issue.”
By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk
