Association of Drainage Authorities announced yesterday that the Black Sluice IDB has just completed initial works with the Environment Agency using a small scale cutter suction dredger provided by Smals Dredging UK Ltd to carefully remove silt deposits from the bed of the South Forty Foot Drain, near Boston in Lincolnshire.
The aim of the work was to restore the capacity of the channel within the 17th century raised bank main river to improve conveyance.
This first phase of works took place over 7.5km of channel between Neslam Bridge and the Board’s Black Hole Drove Pumping Station and the future intention is to continue this work through to the A17 Swineshead Bridge.
Silt was pumped up to 3km through pipes floating in the channel to two dewatering areas constructed on adjacent farmland.
As part of the project the IDB and Smals Dredging recently held an open event to explain the specialist technique being used to other flood risk management authorities and the general public.
During the works, a specialist 45 ton long reach excavator worked in tandem with a smaller spider excavator. This machine could ‘walk’ its way along the bottom of the riverbed and pass extensive root growth and blanket weed it had collected to the larger machine in order to remove it from the river bed.