From silt to saltmarsh - transforming the environment

14/12/2005

Essex & Suffolk Water is helping to transform Maldon estuary’s unwanted mudbanks into valuable saltmarsh. The project began in 2000 when the company needed to abstract additional freshwater from the rivers Blackwater and Chelmer at Langford, about 1.5 miles upstream of Maldon.

Increasing siltation within the channel and large mudbanks were hindering navigation. For example, the channel near the Hythe had become so narrow that it was difficult to turn a Thames barge around.

Because of these concerns, and in order to develop a better understanding of the relationship between river flows, abstraction and siltation, the Blackwater Estuary Siltation Steering Group was formed, consisting of representatives from Essex & Suffolk Water, HR Wallingford, the Environment Agency, English Nature, Port Users and Maldon Councillors.

No link could be found between the company’s abstractions and any increase in  salutation, but Essex & Suffolk Water agreed to remove some silt from the channel before taking out any additional water.

After a successful first dredge, a larger dredge of 2500 cubic metres (3,000 tonnes) took place.  Mud was removed from the middle of the channel and placed onto the eroding saltmarshes next to the port. This has helped boat users by widening the navigation channel and benefitted the wildlife and birds that feed on the saltmarsh.  Martin Lunn, Scientific and Water Resources Manager went on to say “working in partnership with the main river users, and other interested parties, has ensured we get more water for our customers but the river users and the environment also gain, a perfect win, win, win situation”.

The saltmarsh project which has been colonised by samphire and other plants such as sea aster and cordgrass, has been described by Dr Albert Nottage, the saltmarsh expert from HR Wallingfords, as “extremely encouraging”.

Essex & Suffolk Water is continuing its annual dredge of 2500 cubic metres which should assist boats navigating the port and also provide a growing saltmarsh habitat .

For further information on this press release, please contact  Monica Greenwood in our Chelmsford office on 01245 212 368.