Reedbeds & Wetlands
Salix specialise in working within sensitive environments including SSSI’s and SAC sites.
We employ a highly trained workforce that has experience of working in such environments often using specialist machinery. In the creation or improvement of habitats, Salix employ a range of techniques to enhance degraded stream channels. Using gravel to create riffles and point bars in existing channels concentrates and revives water flow.
Marginal and bank side vegetation can be established using mature pre-established coir rolls and pallets. Locally harvested tree trunks have been used to create double flow deflectors, we have also incorporated large backwaters in line with, and downstream of the resulting enhanced reach, to complete the new environment.
Our expertise in ecological contracting encompasses a range of mitigation measures creating new habitats for fish, newts, water voles and other protected species. We specialise in integrated constructed wetland and habitat creation schemes, within the context of storm water and wastewater management.
The basis of the SUDS approach is the use of water management technologies such as grass swales, constructed wetlands and infiltration basins within a treatment circuit to achieve the water flow and quality targets.
We work with natural processes and materials to create robust, ecologically stable systems that do not require high levels of maintenance.
Case Studies
Hoveton Broad, Wetlands Restoration
The Hoveton Wetlands Restoration project aims to deliver the restoration of Hoveton Great Broad (HGB) and Hudson’s Bay. Salix were appointed by Natural England…
5 Star Water Vole Accommodation Ready to accept new Tenants
Water Vole in the classic Pringle tube Salix provide the perfect habitat for water voles. The Highways England £1.5bn A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement sc…
Significant enhancement in infauna 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…
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. As part of the…
Water voles prefer coir rolls
Pre-established Coir Rolls Conservation Science MSc study reports that water voles favour Coir Rolls of the five different riparian habitats studied on the Midd…
Intertidal Planting Solution on River Thames
Creating a reed bed on an intertidal part of the Thames river is challenging – but Salix achieved a fantastic result as a consequence of their unique design app…
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
Woodberry Wetlands is National Lottery Finalist
Woodberry Wetlands from the air Urban wetland is finalist for best Lottery funded project Over the last few years Salix have had the pleasure of constructing a…
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…
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…
Water works at Walthamstow Wetlands
Walthamstow Wetlands by Stephen Ayers The latest stage of the transformation of Walthamstow Wetlands into the largest wetland nature reserve in London will see…
Woodberry Wetlands
Desilting a large reservoir in the heart of London and creating a new wetland habitat. Dredging silts enabled us to create 13,000 square metres of new reed bed
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 d…
Slowing the flow at Cwmparc
Cwmparc with the spider in action With funding from the Welsh Government’s Nature Fund, we supported Rhondda Cynon Taf Council in taking steps to naturalise one…
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.
Restoring East Tullos Burn
East Tullos Burn project transformed a waterway from a straight, hard-engineered channel, into a natural stream, functional floodplain and wetland habitat.
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….
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.
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.
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, staff…
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. Sir Paul Getty began restoring the 2,500-acre W…
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, the area’s most important wet…
Olympic Park Wetlands
Salix were involved in making the Olympic Park a reality, when we were awarded the prestigious Tier 2 Contract in 2009 to grow all the wetland and wet wildflowe…
Royal Parks, Serpentine Lake
BioHaven Floating Islands on the Serpentine As part of a programme of wildlife habitat improvements in the Royal Parks, Salix have been awarded a contract to cr…
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 wet…
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 featur…
Olympic Odyssey for Salix
Olympic Park Wetland 2012 We are delighted to finally unveil our role in making the Olympic Park a reality, from our initial involvement way back in 2008, right…
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 exper…
Longham Lakes
Working for Bournemouth & West Hants Water, Salix were appointed as Main Contractor to undertake 2km of bioengineering works to stabilise the shoreline of a new…
Papworth Reedbeds
After a competitive bid process, Salix designed and built a tertiary treatment reedbed for Anglian Water at their Papworth STW. Salix partnered with Pete Worral…
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. The aim was to restore a wetland area on…
Medmerry
Client – Van Oord working for the Environment Agency. Salix are currently working on the Medmerry managed realignment scheme, creating new water vole habitats a…
River Ecclesbourne
Client – Environment Agency Pilot scheme for catchment restoration of the River Ecclesbourne, that forms part of the Water Framework Directive aim to return riv…
Salwarpe Reedbed
As part of a new large reedbed creation project Salix contract grew and planted out 125,000 reed plants grown from local provenance seed stock. Seed was hand co…
Twycross Zoo Wetlands
As Principle contractor, Salix constructed a 3 hectare wetland system to provide waste water treatment and habitat creation. 18 integrated ponds, wet grassland,…
River Pinn Enhancement
Salix designed and constructed a stream enhancement project at a gas pipeline river crossing as ecological mitigation to a degraded reach of stream as part of a…
River Thaw Enhancement
Salix were asked by Environment Agency Wales to advise on methods to restore a 100 metre reach of the River Thaw which had been subject to physical degradation…
River Roding Bank Protection
Salix advised engineers Halcrow on bioengineering methods to stabilise a regraded slope as part of an inter-tidal river enhancement project. The existing vertic…
River Roding Enhancement
The River Roding is an inter-tidal river and these works were undertaken 100m upstream of the Barking Barrier, Greater London. The works were part of an Environ…
Water Vole Habitat Works
Salix successfully tendered for a pilot project to improve marginal vegetation along the River Wandle. The project formed part of a wider scheme to reintroduce…
Grand Union Canal
The project aim was to restore a wetland area on the banks of the Grand Union Canal for the benefit of wildlife and the fishery. The scheme design ensured that…
Soham Lode Re-visited
An important water vole site at Soham Lode required emergency re-lining of the perched section of the reach (approximately 600m) Following the emergency works,…
Water Vole Habitat Mitigation
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 a…