10. Park Street Mill weir bypass

Aim: Improve wildlife corridors

Water body: River Ver

Project description

Affinity Water propose to modify an existing channel to create a bypass for fish around Park Mill.

At Park Street the Ver has been historically diverted (possibly as early as the 11th Century) to provide the power for Park Street Mill.  At the mill, the river flows over a substantial weir which impounds flow upstream and obstructs fish passage. Immediately adjacent to the river on the left bank is a ditch which runs for approximately 300m and joins the river immediately downstream of the weir. It is proposed that this ditch is modified to create a bypass channel facilitating fish passage around the weir.

Specifically the aims of the project will be to:

• Create a secondary bypass channel by excavating the existing ditch along the left bank. 
• Consolidate diversion of flow into secondary channel; ensuring that levels are appropriate to maintain the majority of the flow in the current channel, and also ensuring that there is sufficient flow in the secondary channel to enable fish passage.
• Build a flood model to ensure that the proposed works do not create additional flood risk.

This proposal is being developed as part of a programme of river restoration/enhancement measures being carried out by Affinity Water in support of their Sustainability Reductions Programme for the R. Ver which aims to improve flows and its ecological health.

Project lead: Affinity Water

Project partners: Environment Agency

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Funding source: Affinity Water