Following over a year of negotiation, work has now commenced on a project utilising land at Collard Bridge near Barnstaple.

The land, owned by Exmoor Associates, is being used for a two month project to construct a new weir and monitoring station in the River Yeo.

The project, being led by the Environment Agency is being carried out by construction firm Carillion. For the duration of July and August, the lower field between the old railway trackbed and the river is being used as a compound for storage of equipment, offload of materials, and workers facilities.

 

A temporary roadway has been constructed across the field to the old railway - river bridge. Adjacent to the old bridge site, an access area and weir is being built. This has been carefully designed, making use of an existing natural shelf across the river at the same location. Once complete the weir will blend in with the surroundings, and will also include a fish resting pool.

The weir is in connection with a new monitoring station being built on the opposite bank. This will be used to gather statistics on the River Yeo by the Environment Agency.

The project has been well timed, to prevent disruption to the fish breeding season, and also fits in well with the management of the land by Exmoor Associates, with grass and flower seeding having recently passed.

 

After August the site will return to its previous state, and again become a flurishing wild meadow, either side of the old trackbed. Additional benefits from this project include that the field entrance is being rebuilt and will in future feature a double gate against the road, also a new area of deciduous woodland is to be created in a corner of the field adjacent to the river, between the trackbed and the main road.

[Exmoor Associates]