Reconstruction & development |


Above: As of 10 February 2021, 3000m3


of silt has been taken


off site to provide cover material for a closed landfill site being reclaimed in Sheffield


j the dam, the planned bi-annual clearance of silt fell victim to early council cuts and was rarely undertaken. In 2012 the council approved a master plan to


remove silt from the dam and retain the smaller island. It also stipulated that the management of future silt accumulation must be sustainable. With costs for desilting and landscape improvements estimated to be £360,000, it was agreed that the silt could not be removed until the money for the whole project had been raised. With no identifiable council budget for these works, FoPV launched the Forge Dam Restoration Project and began fundraising. Money was raised by collecting at talks, walks, running community events, and from the annual Easter duck race.


Below: The majority of visitors have enjoyed watching the works taking place at Forge Dam


By the end of 2016 FoPV had raised just over £161,000 and committed funds for a hydro geo- morphological survey. This was to consider the problem of the build-up of silt and identify long term and sustainable solutions. It was discovered that channelling of the brook to improve its flow through the dam would be possible by introducing a ‘training’ wall along its original route. This would allow sediment to continue with the river rather than settle in the dam. The money needed as a result was recalculated to be £370,000.


FoPV also engaged consultants to analyse the silt so that decisions about its disposal could be made. Results revealed the presence of small levels of hydrocarbons and cadmium which raised questions about how it could be safely disposed of. By the end of 2020 the fundraising total was just over £335,500, including £70,000 from Sheffield Council, along with a new partnership agreement with the councils’ Parks and Countryside Service. In January 2021 the council approved restoration


proposals to remove silt and address the longstanding problem, the creation of an attractive open body of water with a variety of depths, a reconfigured island and planting on perimeter banks to improve the habitat for wildlife. After ten years of fundraising and with much of the feasibility work under their belt, FOPV passed a donation of £260,000 to Sheffield City Council’s Parks and Countryside Service to support the delivery of the project. This donation unlocked progress, allowing


20 | March 2022 | www.waterpowermagazine.com


the council to apply for a matched grant from the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs’ Green Recovery Challenge Fund 2021 (GRCF21).


Green funding In May 2021, environmental engineering specialist


Sanctus was appointed to work on the project and will deliver the restoration through to completion. A few months later in August it was also announced that the project had been successful in securing £247,000 from GRCF21. Forge Dam was one of 60 national projects to have been awarded a grant from the second round of funding which aims to boost green jobs and nature recovery. Successful projects needed to demonstrate working in partnership and delivering outcomes which included provision of eco-system services, making use of natural solutions and delivery of nature connectedness with the blue-green environment. Key outcomes of the Forge Dam project were listed as being: ● An increase in the visual attractiveness of the pond. ● The creation of a range of habitats for wildlife. ● Reduction in future silt deposition to reduce long term maintenance liabilities.


● Improved visitor understanding of the significance of Forge Dam for heritage and wildlife.


“We are so pleased Forge Dam has been chosen for support from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund,” Ann le Sage, Chair of the Friends of Porter Valley said. “By matching our fundraising, the grant means that the work that we have planned for so many years can finally become a reality.”


Sanctus Sanctus’ aim is to improve the biodiversity, amenity


and storage value of the Forge Dam Park and area around the Porter Brook, whilst encouraging sediment transport through a discrete sinuous channel through the impoundment – effectively separating the river from the mill pond and creating a new naturalised riverbank or “porous training wall”. The proposed wall will provide sufficient water transfer to the pond area to enable mild currents but will reduce rates of sedimentation within the open water dramatically.


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