FLOODS & SUDS
Solar panels being fitted to the NIVUS flow monitoring system at Loe Bar
Off-grid monitoring solution for remote Cornish location
The Loe Bar in Cornwall is a shingle and flint bank that separates the sea from Loe Pool, presenting an unusual set of challenges in both flood risk management and environmental protection. In the following article, Rob Rhyder from Nivus will explain how a bespoke monitoring solution was developed for the
Environment Agency (EA) to meet the specific requirements of this unique location.
Background
Situated within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Cornwall, Loe Pool is fed by the river Cober and a number of smaller streams. Both the pool and the
bar are designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to their unique wildlife and habitat.
As the most southerly town on the island of Great Britain, Helston sits on the banks of the River Cober, upstream of Loe Pool, and has experienced significant flooding in the past. Loe Pool is Cornwall’s largest natural freshwater lake, protected by Loe Bar which is approximately half a mile in length. However, the bar is geographically remote and exposed to the ferocity of the Atlantic Ocean, so environmental monitoring equipment needs to be able to operate in harsh conditions, without mains power, and with limited communications connectivity.
Monitoring system at Loe Bar with NIVUS Transmitter, rechargeable batteries and EA telemetry
22 | July 2025 |
draintraderltd.com
Historically, Helston’s flood risk resulted from backing up in the Loe Pool and the River Cober, so alleviation measures primarily included the emergency creation of a relief channel in the bar. However, this was obviously a hazardous operation, so in the 1980s an engineered outflow was created in the form of a concrete pipe, installed to operate as an overflow for the pool. The pipe allowed excess water to drain from the pool through the bar, but was overwhelmed by river flows during high flow events. This necessitated expensive and invasive over-pumping
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