WORKS AT SYMONDS YAT
The Contractor for the "in river" work at Symonds Yat has started work to-day Monday September 1st.
The temporary closure of the Wye navigation and of the rapids is therefore NOW IN FORCE and will remain inforce until at the latest October 15th.
Paddlers and all other river users MUST ASSUME that there is no passage along this part of the river Wye and MUST pull out above the rapids and portage down the LEFT (east) BANK. This is a 300m portage which is shared with both a footpath and a cycleway diversion.
Trolleys should be available for heavier craft.
This proceedure MUST be followed in reverse for any upstream progressing navigators.
There will be signs and local instructions on a white board at the steps to the river directly in front of the ROYAL LODGE HOTEL, Symonds Yat East and at the downstream end of the works.
The programme for the Week commencing the September 1st is expected to be:
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The contractor will be mobilising himself into the site.
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A temporary ramp to get the machines in and out of the river will be buil
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The "In river" 5 ton Rocks will be delivered to site.
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SWIMMERS and DIVERS will be in the river carrying out Pearl Mussel and other "In river" environmental surveys.
The week beginning the 8th September:
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It is expected that rocks will be temporarily placed along the banks ready for placing September 9th.
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The Symonds Yat Preservation Group will meet at 7.30pm in the Royal Lodge Hotel to review progress.
The exact rate of progress of the work is river level dependent. If all goes well it might just be possible that a minute to minute local decision to open up the rapids to passage might be made at any time during the contract but this must be assumed to be unlikely.
IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT PADDLERS AND ALL NAVIGATORS OBEY ALL SIGNS AND LOCAL INSTRUCTIONS.
BY ENTERING THE SITE UNAUTHORISED, THERE IS A GRAVE DANGER OF INJURY NOT JUST TO THEMSELVES BUT ALSO TO CONTRACTORS STAFF AND OTHER OPERATIVES. ROCKS, LARGE CONTRACTING MACHINERY, CRANES, DUMPERS, PUMPS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT WILL BE WORKING FROM TIME TO TIME IN THE RIVER AND ON IT'S BANKS.
JUST BECAUSE IT LOOKS AS IF WORK IS NOT GOING ON, DOES NOT MEAN TO SAY THAT IT IS NOT.
Chris. Hawkesworth.
Canoe England & BCU Planning and Facilities Manager.
Home Office 01423-711563.
Mobile 07802-352815.
September 2008
By Chris Hawkesworth
Well, after 9 years of planning, 4 foot of documentation, and £145,000 worth of money. The appointed contractor decides to go ahead and started in early September. That decision was made on the strength of a good weather forecast, only to find the following day that the Met Office issued a severe weather warning for the area and two days later the Wye was 18ft above normal and his machines were stood idle. There was too much colour in the river for the Crayfish and Pearl mussel surveys to be completed, the quarry was running late on an order for stone ballast from Network rail and as a consequence could not deliver our 5t rocks anyway. As I write, the river has dropped, the Crayfish Survey has been completed, (none were found !!) and to make up time we are bringing in an extra 26t 360 machine and preparing to work with 2 machines and over work week ends in order that we can complete the “In river” work by the cut-off date of October the 15th. This is the date of the commencement of the fish migration season. Please note that we are expecting to be continuing to do work to the banks and the Island after the 15th but the rapids will be reopened to navigation on this date come what may.
For more information viist http://www.yatrapids.co.uk/planning.html