Northamptonshire-based vegetation management firm VMS Ltd delivers vital new fish refuge habitat at Maxey Cut

Northants-based vegetation management firm VMS Ltd has completed the installation of 18 purpose-built brushwood refuges, providing a sheltered habitat for fish while supporting aquatic biodiversity and helping to restore more natural processes along Maxey Cut in Cambridgeshire, an artificial flood relief channel.

Constructed primarily from natural timber and coppiced material in accordance with the project specification, each refuge measures approximately ten metres long by two metres wide and has been designed to provide additional marginal habitat and sheltered areas within the channel.

Sweet Chestnut stakes secure bundles of suitable coppiced material, while deliberate gaps, overhangs and variations in density create a complex submerged habitat containing nooks, crevices and sheltered zones, creating conditions in which fish, invertebrates and aquatic plants can establish and thrive.

Secured using galvanised and stainless-steel fixings, wire rope and U-nails, the refuges provide structural integrity and resilience against varying water levels and flow conditions.

The fish refuges are intended to provide long-term ecological benefit by creating areas of reduced flow and physical shelter within the channel.

Over time, the brushwood mattresses are expected to accrete sediment and encourage the colonisation of marginal and aquatic vegetation, further increasing the habitat value of the structures.

“Due to the restricted and challenging access along the Maxey Cut, the works undertaken were predominantly carried out using manual techniques,” explains Nathan Jacquest, Contracts Manager at VMS.

“A davit system with our trained staff was utilised to facilitate safe access and egress from the bank, enabling operatives to reach the working areas while maintaining appropriate control and safety throughout the installation process.

“As a result, our team safely installed 18 substantial fish refuges that will offer shelter for fish, support aquatic life and encourage the channel to develop greater natural complexity over time, all while minimising disturbance to the existing bank and surrounding environment.

“The team are proud of carrying out the works sensitively, safely and in accordance with detailed ecological specifications, with the completed works demonstrating how carefully designed interventions can provide long-term benefits for the river environment.”

For more information about VMS Ltd, visit https://vmsltd.net/