26/04/2023
๐ช๐ฒ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ โ ๐๐/๐๐/๐๐๐๐
Lots of changes at Brearley Fields since the last update! Work is proceeding well, helped by the dry weather, and it wonโt be too long until the earthworks are completed.
Thanks to everyone who has been in touch to offer their help in the habitat creation work that will follow (creating a floodplain wildflower meadow, planting reedbeds and other wetland plants, tree & hedgerow planting). Iโm currently planning several volunteer dates and open days over the next couple of months and will share more details on this page soon.
The following tasks have started/been completed since my last update:
โข Two large new ponds have been dug. These will be a magnet for wetland birds and the invertebrates they depend on.
โข Puddling of the ponds. We lined the ponds with site-won clay, which was then compacted in the presence of water to create a strong, watertight clay lining.
โข Removal of additional sections of embankment along the river. This improves connectivity between the river and its floodplain, re-establishing natural, dynamic river processes.
โข Fencing installation (mostly complete). This will limit disturbance around the sensitive new habitats. Ground nesting birds are found locally but are particularly susceptible to disturbance. Species such as Lapwing have declined by more than 80% in the last 60 years. Fencing will allow ground nesting birds to raise their young without being disturbed and allow dog walkers to continue walking their four-legged friends at Brearley Fields.
โข Work has started on digging out the scrape (temporary pond), connected to the river. This will occupy much of the site and fill/drain as river levels naturally rise and fall.
โข Removal of old land drains.
โข Removal of outfall spilling into the river. Instead, water will be diverted into the scrape via two new outfalls. Reedbeds will filter the water before it returns to the river.
โข Preparing and depositing earth at the base of the canal embankment to create the new access path. A huge amount of earth has been shifted and placed at the base of the canal embankment to grade the new path. Our builders have begun to surface the path in the last few days. The new path will significantly improve access into the site.
โข A new raised bund has been built, separating the wetlands from the football pitches. The pitches are regularly inundated, rendering some, or all, unplayable for several weeks in winter. By removing sections of embankment at the eastern end of Brearley Fields and creating a new raised bund separating the wetlands and football pitches, flood modelling demonstrates that the wetlands will offer significantly improved flood protection to the pitches during periods of high flows, or more minor flood events (50% AEP/ 1 in 2-year flood).,The pitches will flood, as they currently do, during more severe flood events, performing their important role as a floodplain flood storage area. Floodwater will then drain into the wetlands, passing through reedbeds to filter the water before it re-enters the river.
If any local community groups would like me to give a talk about the wetland project/arrange a tree planting afternoon at Brearley Fields, please email me at [email protected] .
As ever, if you see me on site (Iโm usually in a high-vis jacket/white hard hat combo), please feel free to pop by for a chat or update.
Thanks, and stay tuned for more updates!
Sam โ project lead for Calderdale Council.
The Brearley Fields wetland reserve is part of Calder Greening, a series of projects part funded by the European Regional Development Fund to improve green spaces and complement the Flood Alleviation Schemes with naturally managed flood risk across the Calder Valley. It is delivered in partnership by Calderdale Council, the Environment Agency, and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
The work is also part funded by the Northern Powerhouse, a key aspect of the Governmentโs approach to addressing the productivity gap in the North and ensuring a stronger, more sustainable economy for all parts of the UK.
