Welcome to the Bude Canal and Harbour Engagement Platform

Dredging works continue on the Bude Canal and will be undertaken in the inland section from Rodds Bridge down to Truscotts Bridge during the weeks of the Easter Holidays, and will continue there until approx. 19th April.

All users and visitors to the canal and its facilities should be aware that dredging pipework has been installed along the canal bank. This will be kept away from the tow path footway in the main, however there are points at which the pipe needs to cross the path. Where this is the case, ramps will be placed over these pipes to maintain unimpeded access.

Use of the canal waterway itself is prohibited in the zone of active dredging. This means that the zone from Truscotts Bridge to Rodds Bridge is not available for water activity from 2nd April until approx. 19th April.

On completion of this section the dredging operation will move down into the harbour area close to the sea lock. We are expecting to start on or around the around 22nd April and should take about 1 week.

The dredger will then move back into the upper basin and complete the remaining silt removal from there. Dredging is expected, to be completed by the beginning of May with the storage lagoons removed and the Crescent car park fully open again by the end of May.

During the dredging operation the section of failed canal bank from the Falcon bridge for about 100m south is being repaired. This work will be ongoing and is expected to be complete by end of June.

Whilst these works are going on canal users are advised to launch in the harbour area close to Falcon Bridge and the Olive Tree.

All working areas will be securely fence off and float barriers will restrict and prevent access into the construction area form the canal.

Southwest water, Cornwall Council and Southwest Lakes Trust are pleased to invite you to a consultation event to find out about the results of research looking at low impact methodologies for helping to reduce and eradicate the zebra mussel population in the canal.

Attendees will hear from Professor David Aldridge of Cambridge University, who has been involved in monitoring the zebra mussel and investigating eradication methodologies as part of a project funded by Southwest Water. He will highlight the results of lab-based trials and recommend actions that could be taken forward as soon as this spring.

The event is taking place at Little Pig Farm Shop on 22nd March at 7pm.

To book a place please contact mmbrown@southwestwater.co.uk

The extensive programme to dredge the Bude Canal continues to make progress but not without challenges that have led to a update in the expected timeline to completion.

The operation to remove over 4,000 cubic meters of silt from the canal have never been easy, impacted by lack of available land on the canal-bank and by the presence on non-native invasive zebra mussel, challenges that have been compounded by a slow start to works whilst the complicated set-up was established and poor weather during the early part of 2024.

Whilst it has always been a strong desire to complete the element of works within the Crescent Carpark by the start of the 2024 Easter Holidays, the delivery contractors Cormac are now reporting that this target will likely be extended until the end of April.

Cornwall Council, who own the canal recognise that the visitor economy is vital to Bude and that the canal is a popular and iconic community asset and the decision to continue to complete the task through a timeline extension is based on the importance of removing the silt to deliver the outcomes of increased flood water conveyance, a safe depth for water activity use, improvement of freshwater habitat and increased longevity of the canal.

About half of the car parking spaces within the Crescent carpark remain available, with the Harbour, Summerleaze and Crooklets carparks being close alternative options.

Canal Remains Closed

To protect the safety of the general public and staff delivering the dredging programme, the canal will remain closed to all activity including private launches and fishing within the works zone between the buoy markers until further notice of a reopening is issued by Cornwall Council.

Works continue to dredge the canal, with a temporary closure and diversion of the Tow Path and Cycleway in place in the main operations area to protect everyone's safety.

Visitors should be aware of and follow the diversion information signage.

The diversion is in place in the zone just upstream of Falcon Bridge, adjacent to the Tourist Information Centre and takes walkers, runners and cyclists through a section of safety-fenced pathway to rejoin the original path and continue their onward route.

IMPORTANT: Cyclists must dismount before entering the fenced section as there is limited opportunity for walkers to step aside to let bikes pass.

The images below indicate the signage and route to look out for and follow:

The 200-year-old Bude Canal is being desilted to restore flood mitigation benefit and maintain its contribution as one of Bude’s key amenity attractions.

Work to dredge silt from the Bude Canal is well underway, with the Crescent carpark down to a reduced capacity as it is used to dewater the silt arisings. The project, which is due to complete by the Easter holidays has been a high priority for some time, requiring careful planning due to the environmentally sensitive and historically important nature of the site.

One of the major considerations in designing the scheme methodology has been how to avoid the spread of zebra mussel; an invasive non-native species of mussel that have a small population in the harbour and upper basin areas of the canal. Zebra mussel cling to hard surfaces can lead to significant damage to infrastructure, such as completely filling water pipes, as well as attaching to our native molluscs causing them to not be able to feed. Several steps are in place to mitigate the risk of their spread: One of the biggest risks was around microscopic zebra mussel spawn free-floating in the water, so work didn’t start until water temperatures dropped below 11°C, at which point zebra mussel stop spawning. Even so, we are still making sure that all water being de-watered from the silt is being returned into the canal and not entering any other systems. Once centrifuged, the silt is remaining on site undercover for 2-weeks to allow any remaining viable spawn or mussels to dry and die-off, before being taken to a permitted waste site where there is no risk of it entering an aquatic environment.

Following on from dredging at the inland extent of the canal in November 2022 and March 2023, this phase plans to remove 4,000 cubic meters of silt from Rodds Lock to the sea lock. It will restore the flood risk mitigation role of the canal by increasing the amount of water that the canal can convey out to sea in the event of high river flows, and safeguard use of the canal for water-activity by maintaining a safe depth for navigation and capsizing.

Equally, the ability of the canal to hold more water through desilting, will help protect the important habitat of the site, with Cornwall Council, who own and manage the canal and harbour saying that this project is vital in helping the canal be more resilient to climate change, which will see increased fluctuations between periods of drought and flood.

The dredging project is part funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council has been chosen by Government as a Lead Authority for the fund and is responsible for monitoring the progress of projects funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Many of you will have noticed the preparations around the canal and Crescent carpark for the dredging operations.

The dewatering area is now laid out within the carpark, and over the weekend 11th November the dredging pontoon was lifted onto the water in the Upper Basin and the excavator from which the dredging suction head will be operated was mounted on it.

Our plan continues to be to commence dredging in the zone between Truscott's Bridge and County Road Bridge later this week.

This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council has been chosen by Government as a Lead Authority for the fund and is responsible for monitoring the progress of projects funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Many of you will have seen that works have commenced around the canal to facilitate the dredging operation.

We are very pleased that this long anticipated task is now underway, with a programme to complete this winter. However, we also want to let you know how this will impact the public areas and what you can do to help keep yourself and everyone safe and out of restricted zones so that the operation can run smoothly.

From 6th November a large section of the Crescent Carpark will be closed off to be used to set up the dewatering zone and to build the pontoon from which the dredger will operate.

This section of the carpark will remain closed throughout, and people seeking nearby parking are redirected to Summerleaze or Crooklets carparks please.

Following set-up, the aim is for the canal to be dredged from the remaining inland section down-stream, with dredging of the harbour taking place last in the sequence. Whilst dredging is underway in the different zones, they will be closed to water activity, for reasons of health and safety - it will not be possible to purchase day launches during the closed periods.

We expect that the Upper Basin (leisure zone) will be dredged from about the end of the first week in December, with the harbour zone following on in the period before Christmas.

Throughout the operations silt curtains and floating booms will be installed to both limit silt migration and designate the extent of closures.

We are expecting the car park to be substantially open again by the end of January 2024.

Following the named storm Ciaran over night and this morning (02.11) we would highlight flooding along the Tow Path and advise continuing to stay away from the canal area util flood waters have receded.

Image showing flood water along the Tow Path - with the canal carrying excess flows as runoff from heavy rainfall over night and this morning moves down the catchment.

We would like to thank all involved making sure that the infrastructure was in place to brace against the expected strong winds, storm surge and heavy rainfall.

The Sea Lock was prepared with chains and bars rigged last week and everything was checked at high tide c. 7.30 this morning.

The canal is currently in spate, with flows carrying high volumes of silt from overland flow across the catchment as saturated, compacted and bare soils have struggled to infiltrate the rain.

1. The Sea Lock and 2. Whalesborough Weir during Storm Ciaran; approx. 7.30 to 8am 02.11.23

Cornwall Council is delighted to let you know about our upcoming plans to dredge Bude Canal, which has been a priority for many stakeholders in recent years. The project will provide many benefits for canal users, as well as improved ecology and flood risk reduction.

Works to repair the canal bank alongside Crescent Carpark, will follow on after the dredging.

Progress has already been made with dredging, and since November 2022 the inland zone east of County Road (Rodds) Bridge has been desilted. This was a relatively simple operation, with no impact on the use of the canal or the paths around it. We are now in the position to move ahead with dredging the lower zones, from County Road (Rodds) Bridge to the sea lock. However, this is a significant and complex operation over a long stretch of the canal; given the challenges and sensitivities of the site and the heavy plant required, it will have a greater impact on canal users and the community.

In order to give the community time to be aware of upcoming impacts, including canal, path and carpark restrictions we are providing information about the intended timeline, set out below, although, please note that the actual timeline for the operation remains dependent on weather and ecological conditions being favourable.

Works planned to start in early November

The anticipated start date is Monday 6th November, when the operation will begin setting up in the Crescent Carpark. The building of the silt dewatering area will entail fencing off approximately two thirds of the Crescent Carpark with perimeter screening for both public and ecological security. .

Customers of the Crescent Carpark will be directed to alternative parking at Summerleaze and Crooklets Carparks.

During the dredging period, activity on the canal will be restricted and day launches will not be available for purchase.

Members of the public are politely reminded to follow the information on site notices and follow the request of works stewards for your own and others safety.

The overall dredging operation is then expected to complete by the end of January 24, however the exact timeline may be impacted by climate and ecological conditions, which are outside of our control.

Following on from the dredging work, repairs will be carried out to a section of the canal bank from Flacon Bridge. These works will require management of access to the footpath for approx.100m section during which time people will be diverted through the Crescent Carpark.

It is expected that the majority of the carpark will be re-opened on completion of the dredging works, however some fenced off areas will remain to allow the contractors to work safely.

The embankment repairs are expected to complete before Easter 24.

For questions on these works, please contact: contracting@cormacltd.co.uk

Cornwall Council was delighted to team up with Southwest Water to celebrate the canal and harbour's 200th anniversary at Bude Heritage day on 16th July, and highlight important messages to safeguard it long into the future.

Building on the Non-native Species National Secretariat biosecurity campaign 'Check, Clean Dry' the event helped raise awareness about zebra mussels in the canal; a non-native species that can choke water pipes and destroy native mussels. To help keep other watercourses clear of zebra mussel, canal and harbour users in Bude must

• Check your equipment, boat, and clothing after leaving the water for mud, aquatic animals or plant material. Remove anything you find and leave it at the site.
• Clean everything thoroughly as soon as you can, paying attention to areas that are damp or hard to access. Use hot water if possible.
• Dry everything for as long as you can before using elsewhere as some invasive plants and animals can survive for over two weeks in damp conditions.

It was also a great opportunity to let the community know about the progress on major works planned for the canal later this financial year, including embankment repairs and a scheme of dredging, as well as explain how we are seeking to better manage the canal and its special wildlife in light of the challenges posed by climate change and changing patterns in water availability.

If you would like to help protect and conserve the canal through our volunteering events, please contact charlotte.evans@cornwall.gov.uk

Opportunities include:

• Wildlife recording
• Management of Invasive Non-native Species
• Communications and awareness raising
• Helping with lock movements