Bulbourne river at Berkhamsted

   St Johns Well Lake

Channel-narrowing had to include dealing with the artificial deep water lake created some years ago when the Borough Council excavated the riverside in the St. John's Well area. The pictures below show some stages in work of restoring the original watercourse with piles and bundles of faggots. And creating a refuge for waterfowl. During the drought of 2006, when the whole river and lake dried out, the refuge was the only part to retain its water.

The deep water of the lake has been filled with faggots and planted with native marsh plants. So in future in a summer drought like 2006 instead of bare mud there will be a natural marsh; the silted faggots will hold enough water to prevent drying out.

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