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Environmentally-friendly coir rolls have been installed along a 200-metre stretch of the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal at Gilwern in South Wales to counteract erosion of the canal bank and towpath and provide a natural boundary at the edge of the waterway. Once the new bank is established, the towpath, alongside this stretch of the canal, will be widened in places, and totally resurfaced with fine stone. |
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Design: | ||
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Pre-planted
with wetland species found along the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal,
such as yellow iris (Iris psuedacorus), purple loosestrife (Lythrum
salicaria) and soft rushes (Juncus effusus), the 3-metre long coir
rolls have already established foliage at the edge of the canal just
two months after being put in place. |
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Results: |
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British
Waterways ecologist, Stuart Moodie, said “This sustainable form of bank
protection is a cost-effective, organic alternative to ‘hard’
engineering methods such as concrete or steel sheet piling, and is the
ideal solution for this stretch of the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal.” “It will improve the ecological value of the waterway and the wider area by providing a home for canal wildlife, such as dragonflies and damselflies. Being relatively undisturbed, the margins of the canal offer sheltered spots in which fish can breed, and provide the sort of habitat that encourages water voles.” |
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Kevin
Phillips, Waterway Supervisor, British Waterways, Wales and Border
Counties, said “We’ve trailed this method of reinstating the canal
bank on one or two short stretches before but this is the first time
that we’ve used a bio-engineering solution on this scale on the
Monmouthshire and Brecon canal. And we’re extremely pleased with the
results. “Apart from occasional replanting, little maintenance will be needed on this stretch of canal bank, and the coir rolls and chestnut stakes will eventually biodegrade into the landscape, over a period of 25 years or so.” |
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