River Blackwater Weir Fish & Eel Pass

Planning Permission was granted last year for the new Fish and Eel pass at the weir on the River Blackwater, towards the rear of the Langford & Ulting Parish Hall. All the pre-start planning conditions have since been approved by the Local Authority and permits from the Environment Agency are in place enabling the project to start on site.

Works are beginning this week on the grounds preparations and tree felling to make the site ready for the main construction works to commence later in the year. We are currently undertaking a tendering process for this and expect to appoint the chosen contractors in the next few weeks.

Dry Weather Update

Water's Worth Saving

We’re asking for your help to reduce the water you use at home and use it wisely wherever possible. There are currently no restrictions from doing anything yet. If we all start now and work together we can help to reduce the chance of a temporary usage ban (hosepipe ban) from being implemented.

How you can help

• Use water wisely and minimise any usage where you can. Follow our summer water saving tips. Small changes can make a big difference. 
• Warm weather can cause ground movement which can lead to burst pipes. If you see what you think might be a leak, you can help us out by reporting a leak and we will do our best to get it fixed as soon as we can.
• Check your toilets for leaks. If you think you might have a leak, we may be able to fix it for free. You can report it here.

The current situation in Essex and Suffolk

Due to the prolonged hot weather, the total water levels are now lower than normal and the Environment Agency has moved the region into Drought status. We're working hard to make sure we balance maintaining supplies to all our customers while also protecting the environment.

While we’re in this period of prolonged exceptionally dry weather we're asking everyone to be careful about their water use so we can keep the water flowing to all of our customers. 

What we're doing 

We're doing our best to save water too:

• We are closely monitoring and carefully managing the situation with our water resources, as reservoir levels are lower than they would normally be at this time of year, preparing for every eventuality.
• We have increased resources and are making extra investments to achieve our best-ever performance in repairing leaks, including redeploying our employees to find and fix leaks as well as deploying new technology.
• We’ve suspending planned work so we can focus our efforts on fixing leaks across the region.

River Blackwater Weir/Sluice Fish & Eel Pass

A Planning Application has been submitted to Maldon District Council for the proposed fish and eel pass on the River Blackwater. If you’d like to view the details it can be accessed on the Maldon District Council Planning website under reference no. 22/00388/FUL (if you follow the link below you can enter the ref no. in the search bar).

https://publicaccess.maldon.gov.uk/online-applications/

A decision is expected around the end of June/early July.

Langford Mill Eel Screen Update

Finishing works on the Mill screen and surroundings are mostly complete now, the screen has passed a 28-day trial period successfully and it's now in normal operation. It will be monitored and maintained regularly by the local Operations team to make sure it continues to perform well through all seasons.

An information board has been provided to the Mill House Hotel to support any queries their customers may have about the project. There is a similar board at the Langford Museum of Power, why not pop along to the museum and take a look!

Langford Mill Eel Screen Update

The screen installation works at the Mill are complete and the screen wipe and wash system are now in operation. Optimisation adjustments and testing will continue over the next few weeks to maximise the screen's operating efficiency.

Peripheral works like fencing, pathways and reinstatement of the grounds will continue for a few days but should be complete by mid-February.

Langford Mill Eel Screen Update

The eel screen installation at the Mill has progressed rapidly in the last two weeks. The old screen structure was removed once the river was drained down allowing the new support framework and walkway to be installed in the same location.  The new wedge-shaped screen was then lowered into the river and connected back to the support structure. The mesh screening panels were set in place once the main structural installation was completed.

Works continue on the electrics, controls and debris removal systems as well as peripherals like an access pathway and new fencing. Testing and commissioning starts in earnest next week (from Monday 31^st January).

The attached photos show the recent progress and the screen in situ. Click on a photo for a larger view and to see the explanatory caption.

Langford Mill Eel Screen Update

The installation works have started on site this week so if you're in the area you may notice our contract team busy in and around the Mill building. The majority of the works this week have been inside the Mill working on the electrical installation whcih will continue into next week.

The screen fabrication team will be on site next week to start assembling the screen itself. The installation into the river is planned for the week beginning Monday 17th January, weather permitting. We will be working with the EA Fisheries team again to safely lower the river level and make sure any fish in the vicinity are protected. Lowering the water will allow the screen to be set in place without the need for divers working underwater.

Langford Mill Eel Screen Update

Works on the Langford Mill eel screen are continuing to progress well. The lowering of the river for inspection of the area was successful and fish protection was maintained throughout. Due to this success, the project team are now planning to lower the river level again for the installation of the eel screen rather than having dive teams working in the water as was originally designed. These works are scheduled for mid-late January 22, assuming weather conditions are suitable and the river is not in flood.

Most activities on this project are happening off-site for now; manufacture of the eel screen has been completed and the support structure and control systems are also being built off-site. There are likely to be some minor preparatory works in and around the Mill in the lead up to Christmas but the main site works will commence in the New Year.

Langford Mill Eel Screen Progress

Activities on the Langford Mill Eel Screen project are taking shape. This week the team have been preparing the site, installing temporary fencing and levelling the ground to create a safe working area next to the river. We had an archaeologist on site with the team today overseeing the levelling works in case of any historically important finds although nothing of interest was turned up.

Preparations are being made for the lowering of the river to enable the existing intake structure to be inspected. We're working closely with the Fisheries team from the Environment Agency to make sure fish are protected during these works. The EA will monitor the activity, checking the oxygen levels in the water and will assist with moving fish out of the affected area if required. It's hoped that this will all take place next week (from Monday 27th September), pending receipt of a permit from the EA. Further updates will be provided if the works have to be rearranged.

In addition to these site-based works, the eel screen fabrication is progressing well at the manufacturer’s workshop. When complete, it will be transported to site in sections and reassembled at the riverside before being lifted into place with a crane.

The Blackwater fish and eel pass project at Langford is also progressing. The outline design for the pass has been approved by the Environment Agency and is now moving into final design development for the construction phase. The pass will be located at the southern end of the existing weir structure approx. 130m upstream of Langford Mill. The attached General Arrangement drawing shows the location and proposed layout for illustrative purposes.