Here at RSPB Saltholme we've had two very contrasting challenges over the last few weeks.
The culvert linking the Holme Fleet to the River Tees is blocked. This means that the southern end of the site is under water. Not a major problem, but the levels are so high that the water is getting very close to properties in Port Clarence. The Environment Agency have been working on the blockage but were struggling due to the huge amount of flood water.
Photo Credit: Adam Jones [Image Description: wooden boardwalk underwater]
In the autumn the water level on the Main Lake was dropped so that a fox-proof ditch could be dug to protect the islands used for nesting. The Main Lake is supplied with water from our neighbours Sabic. Unfortunately, the supply pipe needs major repair, and we have been cut off! With all the recent rain and snow, the lake has risen over the last few weeks but is still a long way off where we would like it to be.
To try and solve both problems, the Environment Agency agreed to pump clean water from the Holme Fleet into the Main Lake. It’s quite a distance; so, it took a day to connect all the pipes and finally the water started to flow. In anticipation of rapidly rising water levels, we raised the Main Lake sluice to its highest point, so the water didn’t flow out again. By the end of the day, the water had risen by about an inch! This doesn’t sound much but across the area of the Main Lake its over 1.2 million litres. The lake is no longer a muddy swamp in patches but a vast expanse of water waiting for the return of the migrating birds in spring
Photo Credit: Adam Jones [Image Description: red water pipe running along snowy ground]
Photo Credit: Chris Francis [Image Description: black water pipe running into lake]
Every drop helps to refill the Main Lake and we are very grateful to the Environment Agency for the support they have given us.