Weather slows down Shrewsbury beaver project as workers prepare to gnaw through next tasks
A project which will bring beavers to Shrewsbury has been held up due to bad weather.
An "urban beaver trial" is taking place at the Old River Bed nature reserve. It will be a five-year project to help it become a better wetland habitat for insects, fish, birds and mammals.
Construction work has been taking place, including the completion of a new boardwalk, which has gone down well with many residents.
However, flooding and adverse weather conditions have slowed things down, meaning a completion date for the project - including when the beavers will arrive - still cannot yet be revealed.
A report by Shrewsbury Town Council's acting operations manager, Stuart Farmer, was prepared to go before the authority's recreation and leisure committee this week.
It said: "Due to weather conditions and production times the completion has slipped and we currently can’t give an accurate indication of completion until the fabrication of the trash screen has been completed.
"Prior to the Christmas break, the contractors vacated the site following completion of some key tasks and are currently programming their return following fabrication work of a required trash screen."
Trash screens trap larger debris to keep it contained within a sediment trap.
Tasks completed so far include the boardwalk from Hubert Way, fencing and installation of ground skirts for dry areas.
Works to be completed on return include installation of a trash screen, pedestrian-proof fencing and gates.
The report added: "A snagging visit was completed by the countryside and green space manager along with the beaver specialist from the (Shropshire) Wildlife Trust. This flagged up some issues with the ground skirt within the wet areas, however the contractor remains confident that these snags can be completed once they return. "
The wildlife trust believes the site has the potential to be a great wetland habitat, but the current ecosystem is impacted by the fast growth of trees such as willows.
Wetlands store more CO2 than woodlands, but if left unmanaged, the willow trees at the Old River Bed would soon outgrow other plants, dry the site out and impact its ability to store carbon.
The beavers will help to control the growth of willows through natural tree-felling and reduce their impact on the sensitive wetland habitat. Their engineering should also improve water quality for other wildlife as well as slow the flow of water.
For more information about Bringing Back Beavers to Shropshire can be found at shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/bringing-back-beavers
