Bradford and Bingley Canoe clubThis is the first time we have worked here, on a bend in the river near Dowley Gap. The Canoe and Kayaking Club asked us to help with some of the remedial work that they are under taking following the floods in 2015. Forest of Bradford volunteers have constructed spilings to reinforce the bank on the bend in the river. This consists of two willow fences infilled with horizontal willow and topped off with soil. We finished off the addition of soil, shaping the bank above and applied some grass seed (knowing it is a bit late in the year we have saved half the bag to reapply in the spring).
We raised the canopy of some of the trees on the river bank to enable better sight lines into the water. The plan is to add some extra planting in some sections. We worked on an island in the river to secure some of the woody debris that has amassed at times of flood and high water. We pegged these piles into the ground to reduce the chance of the logs floating off and causing trouble downstream. Whist we worked we found a number of very old bottles, but also signs of a mass of Himalayan balsam that will need attention over the next few years.