Unique views of otters and other wildlife are being recorded inside holts (otter dens) that have been constructed by Middle Level Commissioners (MLC). As a major initiative to benefit otters, MLC and many of the Drainage Boards that are part of the Middle Level Biodiversity Partnership have constructed 65 holts in the banks of the drains and rivers throughout their 120 miles of waterways. The holts have in-built infra red video cameras to monitor visits.
A selection of clips from these can be viewed by following this link. http://www.youtube.com/user/CarsonCliff?feature=mhum
Contractors May Gurney will be carrying out repair work on behalf of Norfolk County Council on St Peter’s Bridge which crosses the Middle Level Main Drain at Wiggenhall St Germans. By agreement with the Middle Level Commissioners they will be using approximately half of the parking area located on the west bank (adjacent to and south of the bridge) as a works compound. The other half of the parking area will continue to be open for use. Occupation will commence on Friday 7th October 2011 and extend over a period of up to three weeks
The largest flood risk management pumping station in the UK has officially been opened at St German’s.
The £38m flood defence facility protects 26,000 properties and 100,000 people, as well as high grade agricultural land over a vast area.
The project, which took four years to complete, replaces a station built in 1934 which is currently being demolished.
The new modern, glass-fronted station boasts six concrete volute pumps which can lift up to 100 tonnes of water per second. This is the equivalent of emptying an Olympic swimming pool in 25 seconds.
The Commissioners were very pleased that Lord James Russell, brother of the Duke of Bedford, accepted their invitation to officially open the new station by revealing a plaque and starting a pump. His ancestor the Earl of Bedford was instrumental in the original scheme to drain the fens in the 17th century so his choice was seen as fitting.
Chairman of the Middle Level Commissioners, Stephen Whittome, said: “The Commissioners are delighted with this state-of-the-art, efficient and effective station – the outcome of many years of planning and hard work.”
Chief Engineer, David Thomas, said: “The station’s design is dramatic without dominating the surroundings. In planning the scheme, we also considered the foot print we left behind so all waste materials have been used in landscaping or where possible recycled and new shrubs and trees will be planted to increase biodiversity.
This has been a project of a lifetime and we are confident it will run for the next 100 years".
St Germans Pumping Station Formal Opening Brochure (2.12mb pdf)
News item from BBC News Norfolk
The Middle Level Commissioners, partner of The Great Fen Project, are pleased to announce that this project is the winner of the Rural Areas and the Natural Environment category in the RTPI Planning Awards 2010. This visionary Project aims to transform an area of mainly arable land into a wetland site, providing for wildlife and also allowing access for education, recreation and allowing a new area for flood-water retention.
The Middle Level Commissioners, who operate the area’s flood protection and water management system and manage the navigable waterways of the Middle Level area, are one of five partners in the Great Fen Project.
The Great Fen Project – a habitat restoration project to create over 9,000 acres (3,700 hectares) of fenland – covers a large segment of the Middle Level.
As the Project progresses and more land is restored to fenland habitat, it will seek to enhance flood protection by increasing flood storage areas within the Great Fen. This will compliment the Middle Level Commissioners’ work to further protect land and property in the area.
As a partner, the Middle Level Commissioners believe that the management of water will be key to the projects success and have assisted with advice during preparation of the Master Plan.
The Middle Level IDB Partnership have been awarded two prizes in a Biodiversity Competition run by the Association of Drainage Authorities and Natural England.
The Partnership were awarded first prize in the large scale biodiversity initiative for the Otter Holts project under which 34 Otter Holts are being installed in the Middle Level system under the direction of Environmental Officer, Cliff Carson. The runners-up prize was also awarded in the small scale initiative for Mr Carson’s initiative to create kingfisher nest site opportunities by creating small holes in piling and similar apparatus.
Internal Drainage Board Biodiversity Competition 2010: Winner Certificate/Runner Up Certificate