At Titchwell, managing water levels is a bit like playing Goldilocks – everyone's after that perfect balance! Some shout 'too high!', others cry 'too low!', but landing where everyone agrees on that 'just-right' level is as tricky as spotting a unicorn in the water! It's a mix of work and art, keeping our warden tap-dancing to find the sweet spot!
But behind this balancing act lies an often overlooked fact: there's only one way out for water from the freshwater marsh. This single route became a big problem about 18 months ago when it suffered severe damage, letting seawater sneak in. You could say this spiced up our already complex job of managing water levels!
The roots of this problem trace back to gradual erosion of the saltmarsh surrounding these pipes. Over time, this erosion weakened the vital structures. Periodic collapses led us to continuously patching them up - adjusting lengths, using supports, and finally resorting to steel piling. However, a major collapse in 2022 highlighted the need for substantial repairs to ensure these pipes endure the conditions well into the future.
Creating some temporary support to the outfall pipes in 2020
Now, we're thrilled to announce our plans to fix these freshwater marsh sluice outfall pipes. It's been a journey involving nature experts, engineers, and the search for skilled contractors. Finally, we're on track to make significant progress!
Once repaired, we'll gain full control of water levels once again which means we can also carry out some upgrades to the freshwater marsh. This work includes adjusting pipe depths and using smaller pipes for more precise water flow management between compartments.
Additionally, we plan to install a ditch and low bunds along the south and east sides of the east compartment. We'll also reinforce the northern ditch, installed in 2021 thanks to Life on the Edge, with a low bund. These additions will shield the east compartment from water movements from west compartments. During this process, we'll take the opportunity to reprofile a few islands, reducing cliffing and lowering areas that are too high to flood for vegetation management.
We'll also finish building the fourth side of our permanent predator exclusion fence, most likely in the coming autumn. This will happen when we're able to dry out the ditch it will sit in sufficiently.
Managing water levels on the freshwater marsh requires this infrastructure so we can create optimal conditions, ensuring an abundance of food and breeding space. The ability to rotationally fallow, allowing areas to rest and regenerate, will play a crucial role in sustaining food availability over the coming years.
Mark your calendars! The project is about to kick off! Starting January 8th, the machines will arrive and work their magic for a solid six weeks. Keep an eye out for progress updates!
All the best.
Hayley - Senior Sites Manager, RSPB North West Norfolk reserves.