Restoring the river Brue
Bruecrew will be manning their stand at this years Easter Escapade at Hauser and Wirth on Good Friday 10th April 2020 from 11am until 4pm.
We would really appreciate some volunteers through out this time to help our staff man the stand. If you can spare an hour (or two) please email “graham@bruecrew.org”
Bruecrew once again had their own stall at the 2019 Pumpkin Festival in October. It drew quite a lot of interest from the public who were interested to see what the Bruecrew actually does for the community. Children were encouraged to draw a fish in a competition to design a yellow fish that will be stencilled onto drains that discharge directly into the Brue. The aim is to reduce pollution in the river from accidental discharges.
In June 2019 ten intrepid explorers plus two dogs set off from the stepping stones in Bruton to walk to the source of the river Brue some six miles distant. Despite encounters with natives along the way they made it safely and enjoyed a packed lunch.
We need your strong arms and backs next Saturday, 30th March, to complete BrueCREW’s most ambitious ‘natural flood management’ work to date – building two stone berms upstream of Church Bridge. Please tell us here if you can help. You can register at Eventbrite or email info@bruecrew.org
Volunteers should arrive at 9 am for a briefing, by the riverside benches at the Patwell Lane end of Church Bridge. Local stone will have been delivered into the river early in the morning, and our job is to create two teardrop shaped berms, under the expert direction of the Wild Trout Trust – Think horizontal dry (or wet?) stone walling.
This work party suits energetic gardeners, builders or sportspeople – please bring a few friends, or encourage those you know to join us, as many hands make light work!
We recommend waders and stout gloves. Wellies may be sufficient if the flow is low on Saturday. Expect to finish early afternoon.
The two stone berms will deflect water towards the northern arch (at Church Bridge Stores’ end of the bridge), ‘Slowing the Flow’ to reduce flash flood risk through Bruton. Berms vary the flow through the canalised town centre, and also provide good habitats for invertebrates and fish.
Materials have been funded by a £1,000 Hills to Levels capital grant from Somerset Rivers Authority. BrueCREW have secured Environment Agency permission.
Please let us know if you can help, so that we have a good idea of numbers ahead of Saturday 30th March
BrueCREW Membership
Membership provides funds towards equipment for work parties, Riverfly monitoring, insurance, expert advice from organisations such as the Wild Trout Trust, and training. Members can play a role in BrueCREW by attending our AGM and taking part in our activities.