Can you guess what this strange-looking contraption is? 🧐 It’s a sediment trap! Last week, our team built and installed five of these traps along a stretch of watercourse where we’ll soon be constructing leaky dams as part of a natural flood management project near Clitheroe. 💦🏠 The main goal of these leaky dams is to help reduce flood risk downstream by slowing the flow of water during heavy rainfall. But they come with a whole host of extra benefits, including helping to manage excessive sediment transport. As water flows through a leaky dam, it slows down, which means the energy within the water decreases and it can’t carry as much sediment. Instead, the sediment drops out of suspension and settles behind the dam. Over time, this helps to improve water quality, reduce erosion, and create healthier habitats for aquatic life. 🐛🐟 Sediment transport is a natural and essential part of river systems. It helps shape river channels and supports habitats like gravel beds, which are vital for fish and invertebrates at almost all stages of their lifecycles. However, too much or too little sediment transport can cause issues. By using these traps, we'll compare the amount of sediment collected both before and after the leaky dams are installed. We hope to see that, post-works, there is a progressive decrease in the amount of sediment being carried by the river as it flows through each successive leaky dam, as progressively more and more sediment is settling behind the dams. Watch this space for updates as the work progresses 👀 #DataAvdEvidence #SedimentTraps #SedimentTransport #NaturalFloodManagement #LeakyDams #Clitheroe (fb)

Help us investigate water quality upstream of the Edisford Bridge Bathing Water site in Clitheroe! We'll start the day at 10am with brews and biscuits, before getting stuck in with; 1️⃣ Classroom workshops 2️⃣ Habitat surveys 3️⃣ Invertebrate (river insect) samples 4️⃣ Water chemistry testing and water sample collection 5️⃣ Sharing our results You don't need any experience for this citizen science event, we'll teach you everything you need. All training and equipment will be provided, just bring lunch, clean wellies and be prepared for the weather! 🕙 10.00am- 3.30pm 📅 Thursday 31st July 2025 📍Ribble Rivers Trust offices, Clitheroe, BB7 4QF 🔗 www.tickettailor.com/events/ribbleriverstrust/1776518 #Edisford #Clitheroe #WaterQuality #BathingWaters #CitizenScience #RiverPollution (fb)