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JacksonHyder team returns to Ouse Washes

14 Jun 19 Work starts next month on the next phase of improvements to the Ouse Washes flood storage reservoir in Cambridgeshire.

Earlier Ouse Washes work
Earlier Ouse Washes work

The £27m Environment Agency project will raise the Middle Level Barrier Bank of the reservoir and part of the South Level Barrier Bank.

The Ouse Washes flood storage reservoir is northeast of Huntingdon, on the River Great Ouse. It is approximately 33km long, 1.7km wide and covers an area of approximately 2,000ha. When full, it stores approximately 90,000,000 m3 of water above the surrounding land. The reservoir protects thousands of properties, roads, railways and more than 67,000 hectares of farmland from winter flooding.

Works started in 2017 at Welmore Lake Sluice and Sutton Gault. Last summer work took place at Welney and between Earith and Mepal on the Middle Level Barrier Bank and between Sutton Gault and Chain Corner on the South Level Barrier Bank.

This year's phase of work will see clay material imported from local quarries to raise the crest level of the Middle Level Barrier Bank between Mepal and Welney.

Preparation work starts on 1st July 2019 and the main bank works start on the 15th July. The work is being carried out by JacksonHyder, Mott MacDonald and Arcadis.

As the Washes is an internationally-important habitat, the work is taking place in the summer and early autumn to avoid disturbing breeding and over-wintering birds.

Following construction works there will be a further two years of maintenance works to establish a good grass cover, to ensure the stability of the banks. 

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MPU
MPU

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