Waterway maintenance should take priority during heatwaves
AN ECOLOGICAL specialist at The Rothen Group, a civil engineering and maintenance business servicing UK waterways, has raised concerns over an upcoming explosion of duck weed growth, due to rising temperatures across Europe and everincreasing heatwaves.
Summer heatwaves made 2019 Europe’s warmest year on record, and with higher than usual temperatures sweeping the UK this spring, the impact on the UK’s canal system and inland waterways could be severe, explained ecologist Charlotte Lea.
Commenting on a recent announcement by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) she said: “Last year’s heatwaves meant duck weed and floating invasive species blooms flourished on the UK’s waterways, which threatened to congest and destroy natural habitats at pace as the warmer weather promotes exceedingly fast growth.
“The WMO’s data shows clear trends toward increasingly warm summers that could result in pronounced weed growth again in 2020, impeding boat traffic and damaging the environment for wildlife.”
Canal weed removal in the UK requires a careful approach, liaising with the Canal & River Trust or Environment Agency to ensure minimum disruption on the waterways. The amount of time it takes to clear weeds varies drastically, and can take anything from one day to several months.
For example, clearing a 2km stretch may take one week in a year, but a hot spring and early summer will make the weed growth bloom, doubling the amount of time it takes in the following year.
Charlotte continued: “There are various considerations to be made in relation to methods and equipment depending on the types of weeds growing. For instance, invasive species need regular and consistent removal to ensure all weeds are removed and to reduce the likelihood of re-spreading – a task made more difficult by the temperate weather.
“It is important to remember that anywhere weeds can flourish will require some form of maintenance and continued warm summers make this need more pressing. To ensure that maintenance is carried out effectively, it is important to engage with experts, such as The Rothen Group, who can call on a wealth of experience, with a diverse fleet that can be mobilised across the UK.”