News

We believe that innovation and success are borne out of great relationships and working together in an open, honest and transparent manner. We hope that by sharing our news we will develop and grow our relationship with you and offer added value by sharing our experience and learning.

Our news is of our people, our high-profile projects and our professional affiliations. We would also love to interact with you through our facebook pages and twitter. We are particularly proud of the images of our projects, we hope you enjoy them too.

16th December 2019

Kings Mill Reservoir Restoration

The dredging and wetlands work is being carried out for Ashfield District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council as part of the National Heritage Lottery funded ‘Mill Waters Project’, aimed to promote Ashfield’s visitor economy, restore and showcase a local heritage site and protect wildlife in the reservoir. WM Longreach’s scope includes dredging of the lake and the creation of islands to retain the silt removed from the lakebed so enhancing the reservoir hydrology.

As part of the Mill Waters project WM Longreach has mobilised this month to begin crucial de-silting work to remove the build up of sedimentation that has threatened wildlife and reduced water-based sporting activities at Kings Mill Reservoir, Nottinghamshire.

21st November 2019

Shropshire River Hubs Conference

WM Longreach attended the Shropshire Wildlife Trust, River Hubs Conference this month in Shrewsbury. This conference invited practitioners and professionals to learn about the wide range of work happening in the county to protect and enhance watercourses. Our Director provided the environmental contractors perspective, presenting on the wide range of river restoration projects tackled over the years and how new innovations can overcome challenges and help protect the environment and watercourses.

Director Damian McGettrick provided an interesting environmental contractors perspective a the conference in Shrewsbury this month, presenting on the range of river restoration works carried out by WM Longreach and innovations applied.

30th October 2019

Sensitive Restoration of Canal SSSI

The Newport section of the Newport-Norbury Branch Canal was restored to water in 1966 and was soon supporting a rare aquatic plant community and forming a high quality and much-loved green space through the town. In 1986 the linear waterway of the canal and its wetland margins were declared a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) in recognition of this. Unfortunately, over the years these rare aquatic plants have been in steady decline due to deteriorating water quality and loss of water depth from siltation. As part of the Newport Recovery Project WM Longreach have been employed to dredge multiple sections of the canal sensitively, putting careful environment protection measures in place to minimise the impact on the wildlife.

Working with the Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Telford and Wrekin Council, WM Longreach began the Newport Canal Recovery Project this month.

7th October 2019

River Parrett Pioneer Dredge

WM Longreach have been working on a project to reduce flood risk funded by the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA). The Environment Agency and Natural England have worked closely with the SRA and River Parrett IDB to achieve increased capacity in the River Parrett. Careful measures have been taken to ensure the protection of both ecology and water quality including: the installation of specialist hydrology survey equipment, ecology surveys and the relocation of the reedy fringe (home to a protected species of beetle). The variety of access issues in the project have been overcome with the use of five long reach machines of varying sizes fitted with the latest technology, using digital models of the river bed and real time GPS to ensure both accuracy in profiles achieved as well as efficiency to the production rates.

Working to increase the capacity of the River Parrett with over 21,000m3 of silt removed from the 2.2km stretch Oathe to Burrowbridge

24th September 2019

Trent River Restoration

The idea of the River Restoration scheme is to enhance the quality of the river, by improving the shape through reprofiling the banks and introducing gravel riffles, to create improved water flow along the course of the river.

Working with Trent Rivers Trust we have been restoring the 1.2km stretch of the River Trent near Weston.

19th August 2019

Key bridge lifts in Regency Restoration

The restoration of the Sir William Paxton’s estate, considered one of the finest regency water parks of the 18th Century, has been largely educated by Thomas Hornor’s paintings of the landscape (which can be found on the National Botanic Garden of Wales website). These paintings formed the basis of bridge designs and their final installation now in the restored landscape really bring the project vision to life.

At the National Botanic Garden of Wales the bridge installations are a “big piece of the jigsaw – from seeing original paintings of the estate…” (Helen John, Project Manager)

23rd July 2019