The water levels have been low and stable for a week or two and I & H Borland have been back in the river trying to complete the concrete works before the weather breaks. Progress has been good in the last week or so and weather permitting, this week should see the walls on both weirs completed. Following that, the two take off pools will need the edges of the concrete shuttered and poured to prevent further undercutting and then the 4 precast sections for the fish passes will be added allowing the final water levels to be maintained. It may be necessary to cut the centre section back to the red line indicated in the second photo below which will offer the additional benefit of improving fish access to the take off pool on the left side of the river. This will mean a bit extra work but should be beneficial in the long run.
Fixing the formwork for the 5th wall. The 4th wall has been poured and is awaiting the removal of the shuttering.
The red line indicates where I expect the finished edge to be. The undercutting is clearly visible and has increased over winter. This edge will need to be sealed to prevent future problems.
The approximate finished water level is indicated by the red line
Despite the problems with the weather over the winter, I’m relieved to report that we are finally approaching completion. I’ll add more photos as things progress.
Hopefully we will see salmon and sea trout going over these falls towards the end of the coming season by which time the Ford upstream should also have been bridged.
