BOLINA BOOMS HELP PROTECT BIODIVERSITY ON THE RIVER BURE
Discover how Bolina booms help protect biodiversity on the River Bure in the United Kingdom with the Permanent Debris Booms PDB600.
The Eel Regulation Compliance project at the River Bure in Belaugh, Norfolk, England, is an ambitious project driven by the need for the Essex and Suffolk Water company to comply with the Eels Regulations act of 2009 that aims to implement recovery measures in all freshwater and estuarine waters in England and Wales.
The project on the River Bure is focused on the installation of eel friendly screening equipment at an abstraction point on the river, with its successful delivery set to improve the biodiversity in the river. The Belaugh intake remained operational throughout the duration of works, with only short shutdowns required. The main construction works included the installation of drum-shaped screens underwater on the front of the existing concrete structure, while protective piling and a floating boom have been installed in the river to shield the structure from boats and floating debris.
This is why we were approached, with the client asking us to find a solution to protect the screens from passing water traffic and floating debris. The solution proposed was to use the Bolina Permanent Debris Boom (PDB600), customized along with SP3 1.0-metre Ø yellow color floats. The size of the boom supplied was approximately 11-metres.
“One of the major challenges for the Bolina team was that the client had decided not to install the boom onto the screens, and therefore, another mounting location had to be found,” explains Chris Reeder, regional business development manager – UK and Europe.
“Luckily, there is a concrete wall behind the screens onto which the boom arms could be fitted to,” he says, adding that Bolina had an installation engineer onsite to put together the boom, as well as to offer guidance and solutions to the project team once the mounting locations were relocated.
The PDB600 booms are uniquely designed with flush-sides that deflect debris and protect the floats from boat operations. They also come with an adjustable freeboard that helps with pollution containment, as well as unique kite floats with integral ballast weights to keep booms upright to prevent under-running in strong currents. The end assemblies follow changes in water level automatically, making the entire system perfect for a delicate ecosystem like the River Bure.
“The location is now fully protected from debris and water traffic and will come into full effect during the busy spring and summer seasons, when there is more water activity,” adds Reeder.
The project started in January 2020, and was completed by November 2020. By the end of October, the screens and Bolina booms had been installed, and testing was carried out over the course of a few weeks to optimise the cleaning cycle frequency.
A second barrier has also been installed in a secondary location.
Photo credit: Essex and Suffolk Water
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