Chard Reservoir dam safety works
Work is happening at Chard Reservoir to make the dam safer. A low wall, up to 1 metre high, will be built along the edge of the crest road (Chaffcombe Lane), and some other improvements will be made. This is important to protect people living nearby if something goes wrong with the reservoir. Somerset Council must do this work because of a safety report, and if they don’t, they could get in trouble with the Environment Agency.
Somerset Council is picking a builder to do the job, with help from engineers called Stillwater Associates. The work will probably start later in 2024, depending on when the builder is chosen and when the time is right. Some early work, like clearing trees and plants, needs to be done before the main building starts.
Wildlife at the reservoir is being protected. Experts have already checked the area and made plans to make sure animals and their homes are safe during the work.
The project is being paid for by several groups: Somerset Rivers Authority, the Environment Agency, and Somerset Council. During the work, Chaffcombe Road will stay open for people and businesses, using traffic lights to manage cars.
Some places at the nature reserve will be closed for a while. The Anglers Car Park will be shut, but you can use the Oakland Avenue Car Park instead. The footpath along the top of the dam from the stop line cycleway to the Anglers Car Park will also be closed.
Fishing will be affected because the Anglers Car Park and fishing spots below the dam will be shut during the work. Anglers can use Oakland Avenue Car Park and should check with Chard Angling Club for more details.
Butterfly survey volunteers wanted
Fancy trying something new, and learning something about your local wildlife too? Would you like volunteer your time to record butterfly species down here at Chard Reservoir LNR?
We are looking for volunteers that would be available April through to September to record the species we have down here, which will contribute to the sites wildlife records and the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme’s database. We would be looking to carry out surveys every Wednesday at 2pm (weather permitting) – there is no obligation to do this week in and week out, but if you had any time you wanted to give to the reservoir for these surveys, your time would be truly appreciated.
Depending on the amount of volunteers we have that are interested, we make work this on a rotational basis to give everyone a fair opportunity to get stuck in.
If you are interested, please get in touch and the site ranger will be able to provide you further information.
Please call Hannah on 07971 111955 or email countryside@somerset.gov.uk.