The Canal & River Trust is carrying out dredging at Gloucester Docks as part of the charity’s vital work to manage Britain’s most inland port.
The canal charity has spent £3 million in the last three years on dredging the Docks to allow boats and tall vessels to freely navigate and moor in the heart of Gloucester.
They said that the dredging program will remove around 2,500 cubic meters of silt, enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool.
“ The Docks form part of a vital supply chain providing half of the daily water supply for residents and businesses in Bristol. Water is pumped from the River Severn into Gloucester Docks, and along the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. Unfortunately, this also brings tons of silt into the Docks from the river, and the Canal & River Trust carries out an annual program of dredging to remove it ,” they said.
The work is being undertaken by Land & Water using a digger mounted on a barge.
After that, the silt is being loaded onto a hopper and transported down the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal to a site near Parkend Bridge for safe disposal.