Drought order announced. West embankment almost all flattened. Part 2. 13th August 2022

Each week, I've just realised, I've had to provide an update over several posts. Prior to Inert stepping up a gear, a few weeks back, these updates would be extended over several weeks or months. Inert can really motor when they are allowed to.

This part covers the area from the northern embankment to the Finch pond complex.

Inert continue smearing a capping layer of top soil (courtesy of the embankments) over this area, neatly sculpting the stuff around the northern half of the Finch pond complex. I get the feeling that the height of land is about the same as the Longwater road. This should help with flooding issues, but will mean the ground can get very boggy with lots of heavy rain - which we could do with right now.

The piles of stuff, dotted around the edges of the curious northern part of Finch pond complex, has either been bulldozed to the correct profile or carted off. I suspect the former. I'm still perplexed by this northern part of the Finch pond complex, as its structure doesn't quite conform to the latest set of plans I got from WBC's planning department.  I would be more than happy if it were a larger pond, rather than a whole lot of boggy reeds, with the odd small duck pond.

Of particular note is the wide channel Inert have created.  It is as straight as an arrow and beautifully crafted. Inert have got some really good plant operators.  However, the thing is: presuming this channel will contain the reinstated Colebrook then it is too straight. The latest plans show it having a slight meander. These plans may, of course be out of date.

Inert have profiled more of the Finch pond complex, with lots of pile of spoil and/or clay type material being flattened. This is particularly true of the north west shore of the largest of the Finch ponds, lying to the south of the causeway and channel. Having initially profiled this shore, Inert then had to dig out a whole load of stuff from Finch pond, obliterating their hard work with loads of mounds of spoil. That has now been rectified, and there is now a nice, gentle, shelving beach - or mud flats, which wildlife adore.