10. Repair flood relief structure - Bury Mill
Aims: Improve wildlife corridors; Manage flow
Water body: River Gade
Project description
Reinstate flow control boards to Bury Mill flood relief structure to prevent loss of flow from Gade during normal and lw flow conditions.
The flood relief structure at Bury Mill was built at the time of the construction of Hemel Town Centre. The purpose of this structure was to protect the town centre from flooding by taking excess flow from the R. Gade into culvert below the town to King's Langley for release. Unfortunately the structure has not been managed for many years and the control board regulating the proportion of river flow that enters into the flood relief culvert, has rotted away, or been removed. As a result, flow is being lost from the river even when there is no flood water and indeed, when flows are low during drought. This means that there is less water flowing down the river through the water gardens than there should be. There is an opportunity to reinstate the flow control board to ensure that only flood flows are taken and that river flows are maximised.