Itchen navigation heritage trail project. Reach 10
This part of the Itchen Navigation was heavily shaded by large trees that had recieved very little management over the past decades. Many of the trees had grown so large that they were at risk of being blown down in high winds and falling into the river or across the adjacent foot path.Trees that had already fallen were causing obstruction to the flow of the river in neumerous places and silt deposits behind fallen trees had started to support vegetation, reducing the width of the channel to a matter of feet in some places.
Reach 9 & 10
Removal of the trees was carefully timed to avoid destroying nesting sites for birds and selective removal of the trees alleviated the problem, whilst retaining habitat for migratory fish. Bank side vegetation was also managed including the coppicing and pollarding of numerous willows.
The majority of the material removed was taken off site, but some logs were left specifically to provide habitat for insects and fungi. The withies removed from the pollarded and coppiced willows were laid and used to try and establish a hedge parallel to the river. This provides additional hedgerow habitat and served to prevent nearby cattle from poaching and damaging the banks.
