Quarter 42011

Ebsford Environmental

Focus OnAquatics
Covered this month:
Dredging and silt retention Bio-engineering and stabilisation Aquatic weed control Native aquatic plant supply and installation Machinery spotlightTRUXOR

If you take my advice, there is nothing as nice. As messing about on the river
The lyrics from the popular song are quite poignant at the moment with the unseasonably warm, yet wet weather, bringing a number of aquatic issues on all water courses, to the forefront of professionals minds. From the ever challenging problem, which is the seemingly endless and unstoppable spread of non-native vegetation, to the potential project stopping issue of cost effective silt management on site. The aquatic sector is facing some of its toughest ever challenges and new techniques are crucial to help achieve more sustainable and more economical project completion.
2

Even in November the mild and wet weather has meant that aquatic invasive vegetation is still thriving and showing no sign of typical annual die

Ebsford Environmental are looking at a wide range of topics, all specifically relating to the aquatic market and those involved within. We have a mix of industry news, project case studies, and this month we are lucky enough to have a guest article by Graham Cousins, the Managing Director of British Flora who will discuss the benefits of using locally grown and UK provenance aquatic plants. In a new feature , looking at unique machinery which we feel is assisting the market we road test one of the TRUXOR range of machines. Keeping the musical theme of our newsletter, we discuss

illegal aliens, we are illegal aliens, we are Canadian, Australian, and New Zealanders just out side York, and every other town in the UK. Ok, so we know there is a great deal of license in this but we thought it sort of worked! With a significant increase in our level of seriousness we ask the main questions, how did they get here, what are the implications and has the industry managed to find a way to eradicate these seemingly indestructible invaders. All in all an action packed issue, and we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy putting these things together.
Nick Hartley

Inside this issue:

Invasive Aquatics

Volume 1, Issue 1

In the first of our newsletters,

TRUXOR Road Test 2

Project NewsRookery Lake, Dorking

Ebsford Environmental are delighted to be working on a number of projects in the South East of the country. One of our favourites is a privately funded project on a multi-use lake in the Dorking area. Suffering from a huge build up of silt caused by overhanging vegetation, the lake is now undergoing extensive work which will see areas cleared, the construction and manufacture of silt islands and the planting and sowing of native wildflowers and aquatics which will replicate the natural surroundings. The project is currently underway and will be completed in the Spring of 2012.

Aquatic Plant Selection

Silt Management

Company Info

Free Wildflowers

Focus OnAquatics

Page 2
Invasive Aquatic VegetationEndless curse or potential cure?
The recorded instances of non native aquatic invasive plants is increasing at a speed only matched by their ability to choke and destroy every environment they come into contact with. With glossy, waxed coats almost impervious to chemicals, deep rhizomes which are impossible to remove mechanically and a taste which is unpalatable to all but the most desperate of predators, is there any way to keep these unwelcome visitors at bay and indeed where did they come from? The names are a dead giveaway as to the ancestry of all these plants, however as with most environmental issues in the UK it is the vanity and apathy of man which has allowed such a devastating spread. 90% of non native aquatic plants recorded in the UK were or still are available as ornamental pond or aquarium plants. It is only after rapid colonisation and disposal that the impact to the wild environment is highlighted. With a number of the plants being added to amendment of Schedule 9 Part 2 of the Wildlife and Countryside act, it is now more important than ever that effective control is adopted. So, if all the usual methods are ineffective, how do you fight the fight? An approach which uses a combination of all or some of the systems available will usually achieve the best results. Weakening the plant with a low dose chemical application conducted at 72 hour intervals, followed by a careful mechanical removal to a depth of 2m can be highly effective. If space and budget allows, a covering with a membrane over the affected area can also restrict and prevent any future growth and complete a process. Additionally, some environmental measures can be done to try and reduce the re-growth once removal has taken place. Increasing the flow rate of your pond can help, and in extreme cases the introduction of grass carp can also limit spread. It must be remembered that even using all these options may not be a guaranteed long term solution, it is important therefore that before tackling a weed problem, that you prepare yourself for a long and difficult battle.

Volume 1, Issue 1

From top; Parrots Feather Canadian Pondweed Australian Swamp Stonecrop (plus close up)

The TRUXOR range of machinesHas the long reach had its day?
So, thanks to our friends at Aquatic Solutions, Ebsford Environmental were given access to their range of machines on one of our projects in October. tightest of access routes, leaving almost no evidence of its arrival. Its graceful entry into the water was almost an anticlimax, leaving our team with grand visions of a robotic Tom Daley and reaching for imaginary score cards. Traversing along the bank of the lake, happily clearing vegetation, the Truxor works effectively either on water or if necessary can clear terrestrially. The unique weed harvester attachment enabling the machine to remove some of the more problematic weeds down to depths in excess of 2m. A simple change to the hydraulics can see a number of attachments be fitted. These include a range of silt pumps, excavator attachments and even a clam shell, all of which are ideal for silt collection and bank works. The clear benefit of this is that is allows a single, low impact mechanical solution to be specified for a full range of operations. At the end of the two days, we were left with an ecstatic client, a project delivered ahead of time and under budget and some new friends. The only down side we could find to write about is that they currently have no plans to allow self drive hire of the machines. News of this left two staff and a client checking our banks to see if we could afford one ourselves.
The TRUXOR range of machines can be used as part of package projects, or hired directly from Aquatic

Weighing in at less than 1500kg and able to work terrestrially or aquatically, the TRUXOR offers real flexibility

The day started hesitantly. Waiting at the side of a lake you could be excused for expecting to hear the familiar beep, beep, beep of a large delivery vehicle, banks man in tow, lumbering across the pastureland and down the muddy, difficult access route, destroying everything in its way. This proves to be the first of the many surprises you will be given when using this machine. Arriving on a small trailer towed by a pickup, the Truxor is light and small enough to simply manoeuver itself through the

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Aquatic Plant Selection a guest article by Graham Cousins, MD British Flora Ltd
The importance of using UK native and local provenance vegetation on habitat restoration projects is now widely accepted and implemented in restoration projects. EU legislation, such as The Water Framework Directive, stipulates the environmental improvement of water bodies with a focus on ecology and this has led to an increase in the number of aquatic improvement projects where the use of native local provenance plants is a legislative requirement. The use of native plants is particularly relevant on aquatic sites, where it is difficult to establish plants from seed and the requirement for rapid plant establishment to stabilise and withstand changes in water flow is the key. The UK boosts a wide variety of aquatic and marginal plant species that can provide biodiversity and environmental benefits, whilst providing a colourful palette for aesthetic planting schemes. Plant species selection should take into consideration important information such as planting depth, water levels and flow rates. There are a wide variety of native aquatic plants differing in form, flowering period and colour that can be selected for specific purposes such as improving water quality, reducing erosion of banks and attracting certain wildlife. A diverse mix of plants with differing and long flowering seasons will greatly enrich an area for biodiversity and aesthetics. All these options should be considered at inception and design stage of an aquatic scheme. Ask yourself what you are trying to achieve and then select the correct plants seeking advice from specialists in native flora. Planting density, plant size and installation methods are the material consideration in native landscaping, which is sometime overlooked, especially in times of economic uncertainty. With budgets being cut around the UK, it is often the case that cost savings will be made by selecting smaller pot sizes, fewer plants or by accepting unsuitable planting conditions in order to complete projects early or in budget Ultimately, the success or failure of an aquatic planting scheme comes from the quality of the stock from the nursery. Problems can range from plants with insufficient root development, diseased plants or plants which contain one or more invasive aquatic plants as listed on Schedule 9 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act. These issues can all have negative consequences. Reputable suppliers should be members of BALI and also subscribe to the code of conduct set out by Floralocale. If in doubt before placing any orders, check on the website www.floralocale.org to see if your supplier is approved or speak to the statutory advisors at the Environment Agency. As with most things in life, if you consider what you want to achieve, take time to install, complete the work to a high standard and buy high quality plant products, then you will ultimately achieve success first time round. www.britishflora.co.uk

Species such as Carex bring both Ecological and Environmental benefits.

Ask yourself what you are trying to achieve and then select the correct plants to achieve this.

How do you solve a problem like Silt removal?

Silt bags can be a cost effective way of dewatering silt with limited space. In most natural occurrences, silt is likely to be made up of organic matter in one form or another and this will usually make it extremely high in nutrients and ideal for use as a planting medium. Despite, and in some instances because of this, it is unlikely that any landfill facility will classify the material as inert; this can lead to an increase in disposal costs and a decrease in available landfill space, two things that are particularly high on the economic and environmental agenda. When embarking on a project which may require silt removal, huge cost and environmental benefits can be achieved by taking a long term and integrated approach to silt management. On man made water bodies, creation of marginal zones or islands using reclaimed silt planted with native vegetation can improve water quality and also aesthetically and Ecologically enhance the whole area. For small areas or where on site retention is not suitable, silt receptor pits can be created or surface laid bags constructed and landscaped post completion So next time you are working in water, why not try and think green, save money and retain your silt. Ebsford Environmental are able to give advice and complete all silt retention and removal projects.

Achieving excellance in land preparation and mamagement

Ebsford Environmental
1200 Century Way Thorpe Park Leeds LS15 8ZA Phone: 01132 251 5015 Fax: 01132 251 5100 E-mail: info@ebsford.co.uk

Ebsford Environmental is a consulting and contracting company specialising in the specification and implementation of bespoke environmental and ecological remediation solutions to the UK market. Ebsford offers a complete end-to-end full-service solution in contrast to the more usual requirement to employ an array of consultants, implementation specialists and cross market subcontractors. We offer services to our clients in the following areas:

Ecological consultancy and mitigation Aquatic remediation, bio engineering and green solutions Site clearance and preparation Invasive species and vegetation management Remediation and ground working

Ebsford.co.uk

From first contact, meeting our technical consultants and all the way through to full completion, you will find Ebsford offers a high level of service, support and excellent project delivery skills.

Free Wildflower Seeds and Sowing with every order before Summer 2012!!
In a bid to promote the decade of bio-diversity and to continue to offer our clients the most ecologically sensitive and aware contracting service available. Ebsford Environmental have teamed up with our friends at BritishFlora to design a range of promotional seed packages which will be supplied and installed by Ebsford Environmental staff at the end of each of our contracts. Each 1kg bag will contain a mix of Native Wildflowers and Amenity grasses local to the project area and are specifically designed for both the application and soil conditions. So be it Aquatic work, Invasive Weed eradication or Reptile Fencing on Green field, Brown field or even Woodland area you know that we are restoring your project to the way nature intended. If the sowing doesn't fit in with your development then don't worry, we can supply the service to a local wildlife charity, school or organisation of your choosing on your behalf, what better message for a developer to give to the local community? Full details and specifications will be given at proposal stage together with a detailed overview of species and location. Each 1kg bag will provide enough seed to sow an area of approximately 100m.

Field of Oxeye Daisy in Northumberland