With huge thanks to Somer Valley Rediscovered the work at the Waterside Valley to enhance the local area for the benefit of nature and communities continues.
The next phase of work will see Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART) create a series of small wetland scrapes and leaky dams down the hillside. These shallow features will make the footpaths more resilient to flooding, helping them to remain more accessible throughout the year, while also creating new habitats for wildlife. Ditches and scrapes support a lot of aquatic wildlife, particularly wetland plants and insects such as water beetles, dragonflies and hoverflies. Vegetation on the banks is also important. Many plants provide valuable food for wildlife but these damp places also contribute to wildflower-rich grassland.
Contractors are likely to be on site for up to two weeks and this will depend on the weather. The valley will still be accessible to visitors during the works.
The scrapes will be very shallow, with varying depths from 0.5m – 1.2m creating the perfect conditions for wildlife to flourish.
Westfield Parish Council are grateful to BART for commissioning the work, and to Somer Valley Rediscovered for their continued support in enhancing the valley for everyone to enjoy.
