News - Salix

Pioneering Welsh seagrass nursery growing and sowing seeds to restore lost meadows

Salix & Project Seagrass have invested in establishing the seagrass nursery on an inland site, it is supported by an Ofwat Innovation project

rock mattresses installed on endge of reservoir with grass seeded top of bank

New bankside wall at Worsbrough Reservoir rebuilt with biodiversity-enhancing rock bags

A new bankside wall using material ideal for aquatic insects has been installed along the north and south shores of Worsbrough Reservoir in Barnsley to replace the former,

Reed beds processing sewage at Clifton waterworks

Low Carbon Wastewater Management – Constructed Wetlands

Our technical manager, Alex Clark, featured in the Water Magazine talking about the financial and ecological benefits of our constructed wetlands when managing wastewater.

Sediment and plants provide essential habitat for fish and invertebrates in intertidal range

River Gardens Intertidal Habitat

Salix were involved the supply and install of coir rolls and rock rolls for intertidal habitat at Riverside Gardens, Greenwich. The opportunity arose from a new housing development.

Improving wetland habitat in Caerphilly Castle moat

In 2021 Salix were brought in to assist in improving the wetland habitat in Caerphilly Castle in south east Wales.

One year on and what was a bare landscape,

Salix are now a supplier of fully biodegradable, coir cased coir rolls

Salix have developed a Coir Roll which is fully biodegradable, providing effective erosion control without the use of plastic nets.

Lake By-pass in Hertfordshire

Salix were involved in a recent river diversion on the River Beam in Hertfordshire, to improve hydromophological and ecological function.

FlexMse vegetated retaining wall system before and after shot showing the vegetation

Flex MSE supplier

Salix are a supplier of FlexMse: vegetated retaining wall system which can be installed on near vertical surfaces. Great for Retaining Walls, Bridge Abutments, Noise barriers,

AquaRockBag launch

Salix’s AquaRockBag is an ecologically sensitive method of erosion control. Working with natural processes to provide erosion control & habitat biodiversity

Plants doing well in intertidal habitat of the Thames

Estuary Edges

Salix co-authored in the first volume of Estuary Edges, having been involved in a significant number of projects within the tidal extent of the River Thames.

TerrAffix-Mine being hydraulically applied

TerrAffix Soil Solutions Ltd^® launch

TerrAffix can be applied on next to any soil type, providing the necessary nutrients for rapid vegetation establishment on brown soils to aggregates.

Finalists in the RRC River Prize

Salix were principle contractors on the fantastic River Nairn Project

This video tells the story of the river restoration project at the Aberarder Estate on the River Nairn,

5 Star Water Vole Accommodation Ready to accept new Tenants

Salix provide the perfect habitat for water voles.

The Highways England £1.5bn A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme includes a major new bypass to the south of Huntingdon and upgrades to 21 miles of the A14.

Good-marginal-vegetation-establishment-from-pre-established-coir-pallets

Enhancements on Riverside Walk, Duke of Northumberland’s River

Salix proposed a river enhancement design with the main aim of increasing base flow, reducing low flows and narrowing the channel using vegetated wet berms of varying widths, locally sourced coarse wood deﬂectors and vegetation to be used both marginally and within the channel itself.

Recently installed Rock Bag XL at scour holes under bridge

Bridge Repairs – Environmentally Sensitive Pre-filled Rock Solutions for Scour Prevention

Salix were brought in to replace hard engineered concreted scour protection with far more sensitive and effective Rock Bags XL.

willow stakes taking well on the River Cleddau

The advantages of Salix Bioengineering Solutions V Blockstone on two Welsh Rivers

Eight years on and vegetative erosion control is a massive success on the River Cleddau as an alternative to blockstone.

Rock-Mattress-under-water-providing-excellent-habitats

Significant enhancement in fauna diversity measured in artificial rock and shell reefs

Recent research into habitat complexity and biodiversity in artificial reefs used Salix’s Rock Rolls and reef netting for its field study. Artificial reefs are created for marine and coastal environments to increase habitat complexity and biodiversity.

Dawn Chorus at Woodberry Wetlands

We are always delighted to see how sites we’ve been involved with look after a year or two, and Woodberry Wetlands has been great to see develop.

Watervole Tagging Photo Courtesy of Rowenna Baker

Water voles prefer coir rolls

Conservation Science MSc study reports that water voles favour Coir Rolls of the five different riparian habitats studied on the Middle Level waterways.

Swales over-sprayed with TerrAffix-G and HydraCX week 5 grasses starting to establish

Large Green Swale Project

This large roadside project involved creating 28km of green engineered roadside swales on 14km of dual carriageway.
Six weeks after treatment we had significant plant growth on Type-1 aggregate. Zero soil. No imported topsoil or subsoil. Simply Type 1 fill material.

Reservoir Dogs

There may not be a Mr Blonde or Mr Pink on the scene, but there are plenty of Mr Orange with our specialist Salix team.

‘Rock Mattress as scour apron for headwall

SuDS Scour Aprons & Spillways – The New Sensitive Approach

In 2017 we were commissioned by Aspire Defence for our specialist knowledge in erosion control. A large scale series of SuDS,

Erosion Control on Exeter Flood Defence

Staff at Exeter Flood Defence Project were delighted when within a few weeks mullet were feeding at the base of the erosion control Rock Mattresses.

Rock Rolls, Rock Mattresses and Brushwood Fascines preventing erosion on the River Crouch

Inter tidal Erosion Protection on the River Crouch

The Environment Agency commissioned our erosion products on the tidal River Crouch. Inter tidal rivers are notably difficult to manage, our Rock Mattresses, Rock Rolls and Brushwood Fascines have been proven in the toughest of environments.

Walthamstow Wetlands reedbeds established 13 November 2017

Walthamstow Wetlands Habitat is Thriving

Two hectares of wetland habitat were created using silt pumped from the main reservoir as part of conservation work to help this London nature reserve

Coir Rolls pre-established with native plants providing erosion control at Porter Brook

Flashy Floods in Car Park Solved

Rock Rolls and pre-planted Coir Rolls & Pallets were used to prevent erosion whilst creating a lovely habitat in Sheffield City centre where a culverted stream had been flash flooding

Woodberry Wetlands is National Lottery Finalist

Urban wetland is finalist for best Lottery funded project

Over the last few years Salix have had the pleasure of constructing a number of London Wildlife Trust projects.

Erosion Control Products Provide Homes for Wildlife

Salix’s Rock Mattresses, Coir Rolls & Coir Pallets are being used on the Exeter FAS Scheme enhancing wildlife habitats whilst giving cost effective erosion control.

Visitors in the Butterfly Dome. RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2016.

RHS Show Butterflies Benefit From Blooming Coir Roll Beds

Back in 2016 the RHS at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show used our Coir Rolls in a very novel way indeed. Whilst creating a Butterfly Dome exhibit they wanted to use a natural material to create the raised beds.

New ditches for water vole created using pre-established coir pallets and planting

Managing Wetlands and Fens for Wildlife

Opportunities to improve habitats for wildlife in Norfolk have paid off resulting in a biodiversity boom. Further work promises even more exciting habitat gains for wildlife in wetlands.

Coir Pallets establishing at Snaith Ponds - Photo by Carys Hutton

Products Used in Habitat Creation Project With Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

Creating habitats in a flood protection project with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust & Environment Agency at Snaith Ponds, using our Coir Pallets & native plants

A Down To Earth Green Roof Solution

Creating a green roof on a 43° pitch using our HydraCX and native wildflower seed

Rock Rolls and VMax C350 providing erosion control at Yeoville Junction

Rail River Rock

Rock Rolls and VMax C350 provide ecological erosion control at Yeovil Junction, protecting the railway from undercutting by the River Yoe

VMax C350 and Bionet protect the soils both above and under the water

Bringing Biodiversity to Hydro Plant in Pershore

VMax C350 & Eronet are used on this hydro project to protect the inlet channel and surrounding soils from erosion, working with nature for natural solutions

Flood Alleviation and SuDS management at Witton Gilbert

Residential Flood Defence Scheme at Witton Gilbert

The decision was made to use Rock Rolls & Rock Mattresses at this residential flood alleviation scheme because of ease, cost and environmental benefits

Eronet c125 will ensure that the soil behind the Coir Rolls and Pallets does not get washed away whilst plants establish

The Avenue, Erosion Control & Habitat Creation Within SuDS on Old Contaminated Land

Salix have been appointed as specialist contractors to deal with the erosion control and habitat creation within a SuDS for a mix of housing and business parks at The Avenue

Tough Green Alternatives to Hard Engineering

Contractors, Consultants and Researchers are praising our Rock Rolls and Rock Mattresses for their proven ability to offer sustainable cost effective solutions to more traditional hard engineering such as concrete, rip rap, gabions and blockstone.

Conwy Spillway Success

In 2009 Team Van Oord installed 9000m2 of Salix’s VMax Shear Stress Turf as part of the Conwy Flood Alleviation Scheme, seven years and many major overtopping events on and it has stood the test well.

Selection Of Unplanted and Pre-Established 200mm and 300mm Coir Rolls

Coir Rolls Aid Biodiversity Boom

Our Coir Rolls are superb at erosion control and they are also brilliant for wildlife. Wildlife such as Water Voles benefit enormously from the immediate cover that the mature plants provide and also from the carefully thought out planting.

Leachate Recycling at HTA Conference

As part of its work to help develop the new European-funded Cleanleach leachate purification system, Salix River & Wetlands Services is attending the HTA’s Plant Health Conference at National Agri-Food Innovation Campus, York Feb 2016

Water works at Walthamstow Wetlands

The latest stage of the transformation of Walthamstow Wetlands into the largest wetland nature reserve in London will see the creation of new reedbeds to help preserve water quality and improve wildlife habitats.

Bridging the Ecological and Engineering Gap

Bridging the ecological and engineering gap with our effective bio-engineering solutions

VMax-C350-and-P550-erosion-control-in-CIWEM

Turf Reinforcement Erosion Mats in CIWEM

Our Technical Director, David Holland, has been in the most recent edition of CIWEM’sThe Environment Magazine talking about the value of our 3D reinforced turf mats in erosion control.

The Spider on the River Washburn

Innovative spider machine helps restore wildlife habitats on the River Washburn. Yorkshire Water’s trial works to improve the quality of the river environment downstream of Swinsty reservoir is now well underway.

Rock rolls arrive in bundles with certified lifting straps

Rock Rolls – Effective Erosion Control

Rock Rolls offer flexibility and the fact they arrive on site pre-filled with stone greatly reduces installation time and therefore cost, compared to in-situ filled gabions. Rock rolls and mattresses can also be installed during live flow situations, which is not possible with standard gabions.

VMax P550 turf reinforcement mat showing good vegetation growth

Erosion Control on Loch Garry Spillway

Tensar VMax P550 is designed for use as erosion control on steep slopes, high-flow channels, spillways, and shorelines.

Slowing the flow at Cwmparc

With funding from the Welsh Government’s Nature Fund, we supported Rhondda Cynon Taf Council in taking steps to naturalise one of the concrete channels which brings water down from the mountains at Cwmparc,

Woodberry in the Guardian

Wildlife gardening on a colossal scale, The Guardian admires our Woodberry Wetlands work. Desilting large areas of the old reservoirs to create new reedbeds.

HydraCX being applied at Silent Valley site

Silent Valley Landfill

HydraCX has been applied to a landfill site in Ebbw Vale. The liner system isolates the landfill contents from the environment therefore protecting the soil and ground water from pollution.

Salix proud to sponsor RRC Conference

As a core element of our work is focussed upon healthy rivers we are proud to be supporting the fantastic River Restoration Centre’s Conference this month.

New reedbed and wetland area being created

Wetland Creation for New Wildlife Reserve

We have started pump dredging/desilting at Woodberry Wetlands in East London, creating new reed beds and islands. Our desilting work uses an amphibious machine…

Salix helps naturalise the chalk River Nar

Working with the Norfolk Rivers Trust and cbec, Salix has just completed a project to help to improve wildlife habitats on a section of the chalk River Nar in west Norfolk.

Improving wildlife habitats on the Royal chalk River Babingley

With the help of Salix, the Norfolk Rivers Trust is improving fish and other river wildlife habitats on the River Babingley near Flitcham, one of only two hundred chalk rivers left in the world.

Creating a new nature reserve in East London

Salix is helping the London Wildlife Trust to create a new nature reserve on the site of Thames Water’s East Reservoir in Stoke Newington.

Fully biodegradeable HydraCX being sprayed onto the green drainage channel to aid erosion control.

Salix installs new green channel to reduce A11 pollution

Salix has installed a revolutionary green drainage channel along an 18km stretch of the A11 in Norfolk, between Fiveways and Thetford.

Salix to showcase innovative phosphorus removal techniques

Phosphorus is one of the most common parameters causing a watercourse to fail water quality standards set out under the Water Framework Directive.

Keeping up with the coir

Salix’s Technical Director David Holland visited Sri Lanka over Christmas with his family to see how coir fibre production is shaping up.

CIWEM’s Winter Conference

Salix is sponsoring CIWEM’s one-day Winter Conference, to be held at the Brunei Gallery in Russell Square, London on 29 January 2015.

Naturalising a Stream: Bedlinog

Salix reviewed the options for improving water control and biodiversity at Nant Llwynog stream – an old reclaimed tip site close to the village of Bedlinog in the Taff Bargoed Valley.

Native pond plants supplied for new pond

Salix has helped The Norfolk Hospice create a new pond at its new residential facility in Hillington.

As well as providing hundreds of native pond plants,

Salix in CIWEM magazine

We were very fortunate to appear in this month’s CIWEM The Environment Magazine with regards to our work on the Olympic Park Wetlands –

Soft bank protection for Getty Estate’s new lake island pavilion

Working with Mace, Salix has helped the Wormsley Estate to construct a stunning new island pavilion on its lake.

Lake Desilting & Environment Improved at Ifield Mill Pond

Salix is working with Crawley Borough Council and Jacksons Civil Engineering to help improve Ifield Mill Pond & Water Gardens,

Salix Rock Rolls Protect Titchwell Marsh

As part of a series of measures to protect the freshwater habitats at Titchwell Marsh Nature Reserve on the north Norfolk coast,

Lake Desilting & Biodiversity Improvements at Midhurst’s South Pond

The South Downs National Park Authority has commissioned Salix to help create a wildlife haven on the South Pond, at the edge of Midhurst town centre in West Sussex. The large 800-year old pond, which has a 270-metre perimeter and two small islands, had been suffering from pollution and heavy siltation.

New wetland habitats at East Tullos Burn

Salix has worked with Aberdeen City Council, cbec and Walking-the-Talk to restore the East Tullos Burn in St Fittick’s Park, Torry,

Salix helps make container plant production more sustainable

Salix has installed the new Cleanleach leachate purfication system at its 20-acre Croxton Park nursery in the Thetford Forest, as part of a European research project.

Salix is now Europe’s largest producer of coir fibre rolls

Working directly with ethical, organic and sustainable suppliers in Sri Lanka, each year Salix imports hundreds of tonnes of compressed coir fibres and turns them into Coir Rolls and Pallets at its Thetford nursery in Norfolk.

Rock mattress tie in detail at hydraulic jump zone with Vmax C350

Sandwich Flood Alleviation Scheme

The £21.7 million flood defence scheme involves works on 16 individual reaches of the River Stour and will reduce the risk of tidal flooding to 488 homes and 94 commercial properties in Sandwich.

Balfour Beatty endorse Salix’s erosion control solutions

We are delighted to report that Balfour Beatty have included our Eronet C125 and VMax C350 erosion control solutions and our Rock Mattresses in their Innovation Sheets.

Triton now available in UK from Salix

The continued partnership between Salix and Tensar® is strengthened with the re-introduction into the UK of the Triton Marine Mattress System and the Triton Gabions and Gabion Mats.

Royal Parks, Serpentine Lake

As part of a programme of wildlife habitat improvements in the Royal Parks, Salix have been awarded a contract to create large floating wetland islands on the Serpentine Lake in London’s Hyde Park.

Roadwater Erosion Protection

The River Washford runs through the village of Roadwater near Minehead, Somerset. The catchment creates a flashy river which floods parts of the village in large flood events.

Medmerry Realignment Scheme

Medmerry is one of the stretches of coastline most at risk of flooding in southern England. The overall scheme involves building major new sea defences inland and allowing a new intertidal area to form between Selsey and Bracklesham in West Sussex.

BioHaven Innovation

Wetlands are an incredibly valuable environment, both to nature and wider society; BioHaven can offer all of the ecosystem services of a healthy functioning wetland but can be placed in an area where it would be impossible to put a constructed or conventional wetland.

10th Anniversary River Dulais Project

Tenth Anniversary of Salix’s Project on The River Dulais, Rhosmaen, Llandeilo.

Salix’s River Dulais project demonstrating the use of large woody debris (LWD) is now ten years old and we are delighted to announce that this ground breaking project has been included in the River Restoration Centre (RRC) Manual of Techniques.

Rock’n’Roll!

Rock Rolls are a robust, flexible and permanent revetment for use around reservoirs, shorelines, lake edges,

Salix appointed Sole UK Distributor for VMax Soil Erosion Range

Salix are pleased to announce that We have been appointed as the sole distributors of the VMax® range of soil erosion control products formerly known as North American Green.

Tough Test on The Teme

The River Teme is a sensitive SSSI and SAC river and over 150 metres of severe bank erosion was threatening a National Grid pipeline.

Under The Boardwalk

Richmond Royal Parks is a walkover for Salix and Sir David Attenborough’s Volunteers.

In our last newsletter and in the piece On Her Majesty’s Service we featured the start of our works at Richmond Royal Parks,

Better Banks!

The Environment Agency are responsible for the river bank stability at Railway Lane, Lewes and recognising the integrity of the existing blockwork facing was deteriorating began to look into solutions to this challenge.

Olympic Odyssey for Salix

We are delighted to finally unveil our role in making the Olympic Park a reality, from our initial involvement way back in 2008,

Spillways Surge Ahead!

Salix have extensive experience of spillway protection offering advice to engineers involved in this area of expertise.

Our VMax range of Composite Turf Reinforcement Mats (CTRMs) including VMax C350,

Rescuing the River Rhiw

The River Rhiw, Mid Wales was the scene of some rapid intervention by Salix’s Specialist Contracting team lead by Technical Director,David Holland.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

The current harsh winter conditions have frozen our 20 acre constructed wetbeds at our own nursery in Norfolk.

Salix Model Railways

Rail works have become an increasingly large part of our workload, particulary now that we have a Specialist Contracting capability.

In helping to re-model railways across the UK we have been met with some unusual challenges both in terms of the erosion problems themselves and the attendant access and safe working method issues.

Water Framework Directive – Salix chosen as Environment Agency training partner.

Promoting the use of “soft engineering” solutions has long been a central plank in our message, and we are delighted that this approach is now being adopted increasingly widely,

On Her Majesty’s Service…

Work has commenced at one of our most prestigious locations to date The Royal Parks.

We have been appointed as a result of being able to demonstrate our experience in working in environmentally sensitive areas whilst employing our own specialist staff and machinery to minimise the impact of our works.

Stop Press!

Flood Embankment Protection Catterall, Garstang – Salix win the contract!

Salix are providing a supply and installation package for framework contractor Cheetham Hill as part of the Environment Agency Flood Protection Works.

Rhodri Tames The Tywi!

We have been working hard on the River Tywi project and thanks to the efforts of our Site Agent Rhodri Henry (above image,

Alix in Wonderland Update

In our previous news item about the emergence of Water Voles at our project in Soham we promised an update on the progress of “Alix”

Planting up in our native wetland nursery

Habitat Creation Scores In Independent Report

Salix successfully tendered for a project to form a backwater and island in a field adjacent to the Grand Union Canal.

A Few Words From A Satisfied Client..

Worden Park channel stabilisation work

“Following works within Worden Park to remove a culverted section of Cricket Field Brook that was the cause of flooding to neighbouring residential properties,

New Salix Midlands Office Opens

We are pleased to announce the opening of our new Midlands Office during October 2012, this office has been opened specifically to provide a base for our specialist contracting service in response to the continued demand from clients.

Preparing our own Woodland for Coppicing

Salix now have our own Willow coppice site in west Wales working with a community interest group, Pembroke 21c,

Salix- Building With Nature

Salix River and Wetlands Ltd provide sustainable, ecologically sound answers to the challenges found in soil and riverbank erosion,

Study Time

Salix’s Richard Edwards has enrolled on a course to learn more about the water vole and its habitat.

water-vole-phillip-precey-wildlife-trust

Alix in Wonderland

Over 560m of perched channel in Soham, Cambs was leaking and needed repair. The reach was populated by water vole so a sensitive approach was required in order to create a new habitat as soon as possible.

Going for Gold

Salix Technical Director David Holland was lucky enough to get a last minute ticket for Super Saturday and Team GB’s amazing three Athletic medals.