Civil engineering contractor Jackson has just announced the start of flood control structure preparation at Perry Barr & Witton.
The company has diverted the River Tame through a temporary river channel in preparation for the new flood control structure.
The team diverted the flow through a temporary excavated south channel by installing a GeoDam at the upstream mouth of the diversion and a clay bund at the downstream mouth, reported Jackson.
The company also added that the GeoDam was filled with water, blocking the river’s flow forcing the water through the south channel and the pipe bridge crossing before exiting back into the River Tame.
A team from the Environment Agency Fisheries also performed a ‘fish rescue’ service between the two dams, catching over 500 fish and releasing them further downstream.
The diversion will allow for the piling of the cofferdam, which will provide a dry working space for the control structure. Once the control structure is completed the diversion will be backfilled and the river allowed to return to its original course.
The £32 million project will hold 1.7 million cubic meters of water and reduce flood risk for 1,400 properties currently at risk of flooding from the River Tame.