CANAPE meets engineers to kick off design work
As a prelude to detailed design work as part of CANAPE's Lake Edge restoration to be carried out at Hickling Broad, the Broad's Authority Construction and Maintenance team met with Dutch Engineers NETICS to view lake edge work carried out on the previous Interreg Project PRISMA, as part of a regular site visit and lessons learned exercise.
The visit to Salhouse and Hoveton Great Broads looked at the type of plants life that had taken hold on the restored lake edge, and what impact the water level was having on this. The group also inspected an area of damage to the anti-geese netting on the edge of the restored area, caused by a boat colliding with the edge of the Broad. This has allowed geese and ducks onto the restored reed bed, causing damage to the reeds and driving back the reed edge by over a meter. Managing new reed edges and protecting newly restored areas from local wildlife is a key challenge within CANAPE.
The group were also given the opportunity to visit Hoveton Great Broad restoration project (supported by LIFE+) where similar technologies are being implemented, to discuss construction techniques and possibilities for the detailed planning of the CANAPE work.
The work at Hickling Broad will involve creating a large area of new reedbed, that overtime will merge into the wider environment of the Broad, reducing sediment flows into the broad and improving its overall health. This work will develop and expand the Broads Authority's and other partners knowledge and experience in restoring reedbed, which form a vital part of health peatland lake ecosystems.