Quarry site is on track to become a wildlife haven

In the UK, the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has said that the quarry restoration project at Croxall Lakes is on course to create a natural habitat for local wildlife. The former Lafarge sand and gravel quarry near Alrewas will be transofmed into a wetland wildlife reserve for a wide spectrum of birds, mammals, insects and fish.

Work on the quarry began 10 years ago and may take several more years to complete.

A process called river braiding is one of the latest schemes being undertaken at the site. Excavators have widened a 500 m section of the River Trent and the River Tame, which both run through the reserve, leaving gravel islands, backwaters and channels. The 43 000 m3 of earth that was removed in the process now forms a wildlife-friendly reed-bed in the reserve's two lakes.

River braiding has only been carried out at two other quarry sites in the UK. It is hoped that this project will inspire other quarry owners and mineral planners to identify other areas where river braiding schemes could be carried out.

Funding for the scheme came from former quarry owner Lafarge Aggregates, Natural England, the Environment Agency and The National Forest Company. Network Rail and infrastructure services company May Gurney also provided support by undertaking excavation work.

Lafarge spokesman Richard Halderthay said the company was “pleased to assist with funding”, adding that "this project demonstrates the important contribution that mineral workings can make to local biodiversity".

The project is part of the Central Rivers Initiative (CRI), which involves a number of local authorities, mineral companies, tourist attractions, charities and Government bodies, and which aims to maximise quarry sites' potential as places for tourism, employment, recreation and wildlife.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/08022010/quarry_site_on_track_to_become_wildlife_haven/