Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART) have been busy implementing a Natural Flood Management (NFM) scheme in Yate Common. BART have been delivering this work under the Resilient Frome partnership project, working to create leaky dams to help improve water quality, flow diversity and important habitats for fish and invertebrates on a watercourse which flows through the Common.
The presence of woody debris, comprising trees and their branches, plays a vital role in our river ecosystems. It is a natural occurrence for trees to topple into the water from the riverbanks, where they either become lodged in the channel or are transported downstream by the current until they settle. This woody material serves as shelter for fish and invertebrates, while also trapping silt and sediment. Without this debris, sediment would potentially suffocate gravels and vegetation or be carried further downstream.
Leaky dams and large woody debris were strategically positioned along the brook in Yate Common to reduce the speed of surface water flow during heavy rainfall and enhance the connection between watercourses and their floodplains. This effort aims to create wetland and wet woodland habitats in areas where human interference had previously disrupted natural river flow patterns. The leaky dams are designed to allow controlled water leakage, preventing complete blockage of the watercourse. We arranged the coppiced material to blend seamlessly with the environment, and the dams were securely anchored using chestnut posts attached to the riverbed.
Thank you to Resilient Frome for funding this project. We now look forward to continuing working with partners to build a wider programme of catchment restoration that includes further restoration, wetland creation, and Natural Flood Management measures during 2023-2027 via the Resilient Frome partnership programme, one of 25 projects supported by Defra’s Flood & Coastal Resilience Innovation Fund.
