Ecological condition monitoring of the double-weir removal and associated habitat restoration works on the ‘House & Home’ beats of the river Test at Bossington Estate
‘In the Spring and Autumn of 2017, Dr. Nick Everall and his colleagues at ‘Aquascience Consultancy Limited’ undertook a baseline condition assessment of the aquatic ecological condition of the river at 3 locations on the project site. These sites are located up and downstream of the double weir location. The assessments were undertaken ahead of the weir removal and in-stream restoration works which started on 18th October 2017. These benchmark measurements of the aquatic invertebrate populations and the associated water quality will be used to assess the degree of improvement in ecological condition of the river following completion of the weir removal and in-stream habitat restoration project on 11th December 2017. Nick and his colleagues will be returning to ‘fauna sample’ the river at the study sites in the Spring and Autumn of 2018 to get a handle on any early changes in this important base of the fishery and the wider river corridor food chain. Further information and scientific papers relevant to this project can be accessed via the following link.
Dr. Nick Everall can be contacted at Aquascience Consultancy Limited via nick@aquascienceconsultancy.co.uk or his colleague Alison via alison@aquascienceconsultancy.co.uk
Please use the following links below to discover more about the Bossington Test reborn project.
- ‘House beat’ – R/H branch (Bossington mill race d/s to Wallop brook confluence)
- ‘House beat’ L/H branch – (Upper reach to top boundary)
- Gravel extraction site
- ‘House beat’ L/H branch (bottom reach to confluence)
- Pipe bridge crossing – Upper ‘House Beat’
- ‘House beat’ Central
- ‘Home beat’ U/S Weir pool & Fishing hut
- Double ‘Home Beat’ weir structures
- ‘Home beat’ D/S Weir pool & Riffle
- Nursery side stream
- ‘Home beat’ to Bailey bridge
- Ecological monitoring
- Native planting of margins and in-stream macrophytes