Wednesday 18 January 2012

SUNKEN MARSH UPDATE 18TH JAN 2012

I paid a quick visit to the sunken marsh this afternoon to see if the work had started to repair the broken water main that runs beneath it. As you can see it certainly has started, the picture above shows the closure of the path at the southern end of the marsh, Abbey Mead lake is immediately to the right.



I spoke to one of the contractors who told me the work would take possibly two weeks, with the mechanical digger going into the marsh to start digging it up on friday. The work is being delayed a bit because of the sheer amount of water, up to four feet i'm told at this end of the marsh. This is too deep for the digger to work in so they are pumping it out first, as can be seen in the picture above, before laying some sort of matting for it to operate on. The water is quite heavily treated with Chlorine and because of this it cannot be pumped into the lakes, so it's being pumped into a carrier stream which runs along the western edge of the marsh and then straight into the tidal river Medway.

This is a big water main which runs right through the lakes, buried alongside part of Brooklands and the NW corner of Abbey Mead before crossing beneath the marsh and under the river to a pumping station in Burham. It amazes me that a drop in water pressure wasn't noticed somewhere.



I called in at the Alders lakes on the way home to look for the Goldeneye. I checked the Trout lake and, in the fading light, scanned the big lake as best I could without success. There are plenty of hiding places and lots of birds there so I might have missed it, but I wonder if it may have moved on now. Maybe i'll have another look tomorrow once the rain clears.

5 comments:

Warren Baker said...

Two weeks isn't so bad Phil. Least the birds will be able to breed in peace later - it also messes up the last two weeks for the shooters :-)

Phil said...

Too right Warren. It might also stop the motorbike scrambling which has started to rear its very ugly head again. It never rains....

Bob Bushell said...

Bad news, but, no bother anyway, two weeks possibly, hum, maybe!!!

Ken. said...

Phil.
Shame about all that work, still it has to be done, better now than in the spring and summer.

ShySongbird said...

Oh goodness! Not what I usually see here Phil, I do hope it gets sorted out soon, what a pain! Talking of pains and referring to your reply to Warrem, I could cheerfully strangle the motorbike scramblers! The ones we get round here don't look old enough to be on a tricycle, proper little oiks!

On a happier note :-) it is great to be back and thank you for the lovely comment you left on my post and on the previous one.