Project Description
A huge wildfire began on the evening of June 24th near the village of Carrbrook and raged over Saddleworth Moor for three weeks in 2018.
The moorland surface was left severely damaged with wildlife habitats destroyed and years’ worth of carbon released into the atmosphere from the burnt peat.
This particular area of moorland forms part of the catchment area for United Utilities’ raw water supply and there was a serious and imminent risk that forecasted heavy rainfall would wash much of the contaminated silt and debris down the hillside into the Upper Swineshaw Reservoir.
The Challenge
It was essential to rapidly implement some form of scour protection to prevent particle detachment during a heavy downpour and to capture the inevitable run-off which would transport debris from the burnt surface down the moorside and into the reservoir, where the contamination would put additional pressure on water processing facilities and pose a reduction in the quality of drinking water.
The solution had to be sustainable, readily available, easy and quick to install and require little or no attention once vegetation has re-established. A silt trap at the base of the slope was required as a final safety measure.
The Solution
Drawing on experience working with Cranfield University to control “run-off” in the SSSI Wye Valley and the previous supply of some 74,000sqm of ABG’s Erosamat Type 1 Jute erosion control mats for the Moors for the Future project, ABG proposed the same Erosamat Type 1 as a bio-degradable Erosion Control Mat. The mat is made entirely from jute fibres to cover and protect the burnt surface from rain bombardment, and degrades in 1 -2 years to allow natural re-growth to take over. A surface layer of the slower degrading (4-5 years) Erosamat Type 2 coir erosion control mats were proposed in combination with a vertical non-woven geotextile silt fence as a final silt trap and barrier at the foot of the hill just above the reservoir.
Erosamat Type 2 Biodegradable Coir Mesh structure
Erosamat Type 1 Biodegradable Jute Mesh structure
The ABG Service
Within 24 hours ABG had visited the United Utilities offices and visited site to propose a solution, gain approval and deliver material. Site supervision to brief the installation team was provided and the whole installation was completed by the contractor in less than 7 days, despite the remote location and access restrictions.
