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Client: Yorkshire Water
Services The Project -
completed year 2000/01
The
Site
Wydra Beck Woodland -
part of Yorkshire Water's 500 hectare estate in the Washburn
Valley near Harrogate. A feeder stream through the centre of
the site runs into Swinsty Reservoir which supplies Leeds
with water.
Conditions
Unthinned, wet coniferous woodland, whose poor
stability linked with an increasing tree height and exposed
position has resulted in wind blown trees.
Consequence: -
a potential threat to the reservoir's water quality, breach
of boundary fences, loss of timber production and the
appearance of poor environmental
stewardship.
Brief
To harvest
and replant the site with 11,500 native hardwoods able
to adapt to the site conditions
and provide environmental benefit, whilst ensuring that
water quality was never threatened.
Geoff
Lomas, Yorkshire Water's Catchment & Recreation Manager
explained: "We needed an environmentally appropriate
practical scheme which also met our top priority of
maintaining water quality."
The project proved to be
far more difficult than could have been anticipated, and
half way through a radical re-think was needed. Wayne
Scurrah explained: "We decided to mulch the brash rather
than burn on site but heavy rain meant the mulching machine
could only operate on half the area. Evolving the scheme, we
designed a new planting plan, and made a better feature of
the wet areas by the creation of ponds, wet land and marsh,
of which will encourage greater wildlife diversity."
The Result
"This was a difficult site to work. Scurrah
Associates had the knowledge, the experience and the
imagination not only to overcome site problems, but also to
produce an excellent scheme which was delivered on time and
within budget," said Mr Lomas. "Throughout I was kept
informed of progress, and provided with possible options on
resolving the issues as they arose. It was a good example of
a client and contract manager working well
together."
Case
study 2....Scurrah Associates and CF Harris Ltd of South
Milford
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Scurrah Associates Ltd has had
responsibility for the contract management and the works
implementation of Woodland Grant Schemes for Yorkshire Water for two
years covering 1,700 hectares.
