WEIR ... WEEK THREE

Only a week ago and things were mounting up ready for use in the construction work ...

These oblong blocks of concrete weigh 2 tons each and ... are on a daily hire rate ... which considering they were standing by for two weeks before being used seems costly to me.

But during the week they were finally put to good use, diverting the water to the far side of the river, enabling the heavy plant machines (also on a daily hire rate) to move them into position, basically splitting the river in half on the top weir. This enables a safe area for the machines to work in, as they have begun to redesign the river bed. dramatically.

The concrete barrier allows a relatively dry area for placing the stone that has come from Trefil & Raglan quarries into place. The large stones weigh 3 tons apiece and the spaces between are then filled in with smaller rubble.

This is the view from just above the top weir, there's been a dramatic change in the river-scape over this last third week. Heavier boulders have also been placed down the left side of the river, which will eventually, hopefully, meld into this new man made landscape.

Meanwhile more stone of different grades has arrived from the quarries ...

It all seems so angular and jagged compared to the smooth,  river rounded stones.

But ... given time with the fast flowing water, these too will have their rough edges worn away, forming smaller grains of stone grit that will just sink into the crevices in between.

In one way it could be seen as an admirable project, allowing salmon, trout and eels to migrate  from The Severn Estuary up the now, post industrial, clean and healthy Afon Ebbw. But one cannot but wonder at the vast cost of this project, which will have taken two months to complete by the end of September when the work is due to be completed.

And this is not the only area to be regenerated by the Environmental Agency in favour of migrating fish ... the expense of all these separate projects combined must be phenomenal.

At some stage, the 2 ton rectangular blocks will be removed leaving only the "natural stone" behind to be gently reshaped by the flow of water from the heads of the valleys. The benefits? Hmm ... fisherman and herons will certainly appreciate these man made changes and as nature reclaims her own and re-covers the scars left by human endeavours, these stretches of the river will to future generations seem more naturally wild. About fifty years ago now, the weirs we see today were man made. Industrial processes such as coal mining and the steel industry, changed the landscape and also inevitably affected the river quality in a way that made it inhabitable for local wildlife. 

So ... maybe future generations will possibly unknowingly, appreciate human intervention as they walk by well stocked rivers with banks of healthy green trees and undergrowth.

When I look back at my photo files, this was the scene on June 6th this year ... 

It will be interesting to stand here in June 2013 and see the difference.