Ouse News - Summer 2021

Ouse News Page 13 River News from the Environment Agency Waterways Operations Team Leader (Gt. Ouse and Stour Navigations) Paul Separovic Waterways Capital Major Works Forward, Present and Backward Look Over the winter months is the usual time that most of the major works to our waterways structures are undertaken and we usually report in more detail on these works in the winter/spring issues of these publications. Over the previous winter, works were undertaken at Great Barford Lock, Godmanchester and St Ives Lock which all had dewater inspections and below waterline repairs. Hermitage Lock also had some works undertaken but unfortunately, as with some other sites, due to the weather conditions and knock-on effects of these, some sites have slipped on the list and the works deferred to this coming winter; such as at Hermitage and Cardington for example.

Much has been done in the form of desilting works and tree works on the river since the New Year; much of this in response to winter flooding and storms. As soon as problems became evident we instructed contractors to mobilise and clear siltation that had formed at Brandon Lock on the Little Ouse Lock Cut and some of the most significant silt deposits seen at Denver and Salters Lode Locks. These have now been cleared but we will need to return to Brandon Lock as the siltation extended well beyond the lock cut and up and downstream at Brandon, which was not apparent when the initial dredging took place.

Up to date and at the time of writing, contractors are being lined up and are due to mobilise imminently to work on the shoals that have formed on the Bedford Ouse River, especially at Castle Mill Lock and downstream of Godmanchester Lock by the Canoe Portage. These will be the priority sites to tackle, which is likely to start within a couple of weeks.