Mersey Basin Campaign Blog

Trap adjustments

On 18th July 2007 Bruce Bendell and I met OPEC Ltd, APEM Ltd and Alan Bretherton (the contractor who is emptying the trap) to determine why the floating boom had broken again. 

The weather has been extreme for the time of year but the flows seen in the River Darwen are not unusual in winter months.  We are learning quickly about operating extremes for the litter trap, which but this has caused a few 'teething problems' such as broken boom connectors (see image below).

Metal connectors have now been fitted to try and help prevent the breakages.

   

The floats on either side of the basket have also been adjusted so that the basket effectively floats higher in the river.

There are also plans for the 'runner' on the longest boom to be shortened, enabling automatic boom release as river levels rise towards flood conditions.  This means that the trap will operate during low and medium flow but that it will release in higher flows to prevent damage to the trap and minimise the potential for flooding.

Fly-tipping problem highlighted by the Litter Trap

On Sunday 13th May 2007 members of the public enjoyed junk music and puppet-making with the PickleHerring Theatre Company to launch the River Darwen Litter Trap Project in the community. 

Although we were horrified to see the trap is blighted by fly-tipped waste (I counted 43 tyres - see photos below!) at least the waste will be easier to remove from the trap than they would have been if they had been washed down through the catchment of the River Darwen into the River Ribble and the Ribble Estuary.  This highlights the importance of the litter trap and, in a way, is very encouraging.
   
Information about the fly-tipping has been passed on to the Environment Agency and we await the results of their investigation, hoping this will help in the project's most important aim - to prevent litter and debris from getting into the River Darwen in the first place.  If you have any information to help the Environment Agency please contact the Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60 quoting incident report number 494131.

WATCH THE LITTER TRAP IN ACTION HERE

 

Lancashire's Mayors admire Litter Trap

All the Mayors of Lancashire visited the litter trap today and were please to see it removing floating debris.  The litter trap installed in Blackburn with Darwen Borough will also improve the look of the catchment downstream as the river flows through Chorley and South Ribble, where Action Darwen Valley intends there will be a concerted effort of river clean ups.

At a site visit on Monday the Chairman of Action Darwen Valley (Bruce Bendell) and I discussed how we can remove litter that is already in the River Darwen downstream of the litter trap.  We're planning to have a big clean up throughout the catchment, starting from the litter trap downstream and hope to work with local volunteers on the banks.  By also involving other partners we should even be able to remove huge items like this unsightly pallet truck, which is silted into the bank just next to the litter trap (how and why these things end up in the river is beyond me!).

See the Darwen litter trap in action!

The Litter Trap is complete!

Yesterday was most exciting - seeing the litter trap working properly and being emptied for the very first time. 

Tomorrow I am showing the trap to the Mayors of Lancashire and have made a small flier (attached) about it and how it works. 

Download A5flier_2400dpi.pdf