Habitat Restoration at Bushy Park

Distributor: Fiver Rivers

Location: Royal Bushy Park, Hampton

The driver for these works was to improve biodiversity and provide significant ecological benefits for invertebrates, fish, birds and flora.

Localised dredging and minor clearance of Triss’s and Fishers Pond into berms improved water quality. The installation of oak drop board water control structures across the feeder stream and newly created inflow channel has ensured consistent flow.

Project requirements

The problem

The end goal of this project was to increase water flow throughout an otherwise stagnant pond. Key drivers were to improve habitat and therefore biodiversity. The finished marginal berms profiles were to be undulated to ensure a natural finish and provide variation for micro habitats. This site is a SSSI so works had to be careful and considerate of its status. Machinery operated within the pond channel where possible and track mats were utilised at points where vegetation root protection zones were in place. A fish rescue was undertaken prior to and during works.

Our approach

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The solution

To create the berms, chestnut posts were installed, overlain with geotextile to create an enclosed space, and backfilled with sediment removed from the pond by excavator. These were plug planted upon completion. A new inflow channel was constructed, and both it and the existing feeder stream were fitting with water control structures. Finally, gravel was installed at the confluence between the inflow channel and pond. In April hydroseeding will take place to complete the planting works.

The results

FiveRivers worked closely with the Royal Parks with regular meetings to successfully desilt and create new berms around Triss’s Pond and Fishers Pond with the aim of improving water quality and habitat for wildlife.

The feeder streams of Fishers Pond and Triss’ Pond had new control structures installed. Fishers Pond also had a new outflow control structure installed these all had Flex MSE wing walls.

Fishers Pond and its two feeder streams had over 500mof sediment removed into the berms 1200 aquatic plants planted at the front edges with 1000mof berms hydroseeded.

Triss’s Pond had 9 berms created at varying height creating different habitats for wildlife. The berms were planted with over 3000 aquatic plants. A new water control structure was made to improve the water quality throughout the pond.

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