Much of the Bristol Avon has many weirs with a short stretch of oxygenated water below them followed by the river quickly losing its energy. This project was designed to concentrate the little flow there was to scour the centre of the river. This was achieved by building natural flow deflectors, in this case willows, which were collapsed into the river and pinned. They have become natural barriers to the flow sufficient to scour the centre of the river in normal conditions, but have withstood all major flooding as the extra water flows through and over them.
Sediment is deposited behind the deflectors and over time has encouraged plant growth and a shallow area which warms quickly in the Spring and Summer. They are excellent areas for fry to develop out of the flow and where they can seek some shelter from predators. In higher water the slack areas created shelter many species of fish.
Within days of these being created the deflectors were being used by duck, kingfishers and wrens and in the first winter provided a great foraging area for long tailed tits.
