A consortium including Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Rivers Trusts/ Salmon Fishery Boards, the Rivers and Lochs Institute (RLI), the River Restoration Centre (RRC), the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM, Scottish Branch), cbec eco-engineering UK Ltd, local estates and representation from industry are organising a two day workshop on 'Practical River Works' this summer on the 23rd and 24th of September, at SNH's headquarters in Inverness.
With a series of focused talks and site visits, the event will provide a clear description of the various stages required in the practical delivery of environmentally sustainable river engineering/ management works.
Topics to be covered include:
- Solving river engineering problems using natural processes
- Stable design in steep channels
- Engineering with trees
- Adding natural process/ form into SUDS
- Cost benefit
- Environmental sustainability
- Licensing and consents
Engineering works are often required where built infrastructure such as roads, railways, pipelines, cables and buildings interact with rivers and their floodplains. While such works must deliver a practical outcome, there is an increasing requirement that they are sustainable in the longer term and sensitive to the natural environment.
Such objectives are best achieved by working with river processes, producing solutions that aim to reproduce/ reinstate the natural form and function of stable channel-floodplain systems. This approach is now at the heart of decision making by regulatory bodies.
The event will describe the background to such an approach to river works, the advantages of its application, the regulatory/ legislative context and provide examples of design/ construction methods (including case studies, both successful and unsuccessful). A significant part of the event will be site visits to some of the case studies to help with visualisation and understanding.
If you have any questions about this event, please send an email to workshop@cbecoeng.co.uk or call 01463 718 831.