Bickershaw Country Park – Slow the Flow Project
Client: Wigan Council
Final Value: £33,000
Start Date: Feb 2019
Status: Ongoing
Background
The site is approximately 250 hectares and consists of a mix of previously remediated colliery land with three large water bodies/flashes: Diggle Flash in the north, and Firs Tree Flash and Nevison’s Flash in the south, with interconnecting ditch matrix.
The Slow the Flow project is a partnership between Wigan Council, The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside, City of Trees and the Environment Agency. The project aim is to create and enhance the site’s natural streams, in order to maximise their potential for wetland habitat diversity, whilst decreasing flood risk within the site.
CCNW Solution
CCNW carried out the restoration works on the existing ditch lines within the site, to enable both natural and sustainable drainage flows. In addition, changes to the contours of the ditch matrix were carried out to slow flow rates down.
The project required the construction of a new stream and small pools, as well as the re-profiling of the main ditch that connected the Diggle Flash outfall to Fir Tree Flash. The main ditch line was re-profiled and re-aligned to follow a more naturalistic course, creating a habitat corridor, thus facilitating the movement of wildlife present on site.
The scheme has increased the area of flood plain on the Bickershaw site and increased the water-holding capacity by the creation of larger ponds connecting to the ditch matrix.
The construction and the creation of some small open water areas, including the creation of shallow pools, swamp and aquatic habitat coupled with the installation of new weirs using natural stone within the ditch matrix added further diversity to the site.
Special Features
Habitat improvement works
River-side project
Local country park
Services
Wetland Habitat Enhancement
Habitat Management
Pond and pool construction
Stream creation & ditch re-profiling
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