The final phase of dredging works at Peak Forest Canal in Manchester, UK has begun.
Wet civil engineering specialist Land & Water has been carrying out the dredging project on behalf of the Canal & River Trust. The works, which started in September 2020 and are due to finish this month, has seen Land & Water dredge 14,000 tonnes of material, the equivalent of 3,111 Indian elephants, from Whaley Bridge up to Portland Basin.
Lucy Lee, contracts manager at Land & Water, said: “We have loved being part of this project, helping to preserve a canal which contains such important parts of British history.
“As part of the works we were able to use our brand new, purpose built, bespoke narrowbeam dredger, Sedge. This piece of machinery is perfect for restricted areas, allowing us to dredge materials from places which may usually not be accessible.”
Improving efficiency
The dredging material has been disposed of via Augean’s Waste Facility, with various offload locations along the canal.
The works are to improve the efficiency of the Canal for boaters, safeguarding it for years to come as it boasts two Scheduled Ancient Monuments, the historic three-arch Marple Aqueduct and Bugsworth Basin, in its 15-mile length.
Land & Water has worked alongside the Canal & River Trust for over 20 years, providing environmental solutions including dredging and vegetation clearance.
By Rebecca Jeffrey
