Introduced, yearlong-green, perennial, large, tufted grass. Stems are rounded, up to 1.5 m tall and often reddish at their base. A native of the Mediterranean, it is sown in the

Upper Hunter and further south; naturalised along

roadsides. Prefers more fertile soils. Waterlogging and frost

tolerant, but most varieties are sensitive to soil acidity and aluminium.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the second week of October 2016.

Meanwhile, at the Silverbridge site, adjacent to the N11 dual-carriageway:

We last visited here 2 years ago in November 2014, where bank stabilisation works involving excavation, repair and building of a support wall structure were being carried out by JONS Construction on behalf of the National Roads Authority.

We would occasionally catch sight of this work in the distance. Quite an impressive little piece of structural engineering.

Having built a retaining concave wall, backfilled for solidity, they were also drilling, fixing and sealing ground anchors to pin the entire structure together.

flic.kr/p/paSU8U

Now we see that further works are being undertaken.

Word has it that extra ‘stabilisation work’ has to be done to protect the integrity of the riverbank. At the section here we can see that there’s not much space between the edge of the rock face and the Armco at the side of the dual-carriageway.

Have yet to determine what precisely that will entail. Serious work to re-inforce the side access ramp down to the river.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these were used, back in 2012, to line the north bank of the existing riverbank adjacent to The Slang/Rehills stretch.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, were used to cover the excavated riverbed, and also to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

Working in these confined spaces puts a premium of safety and communication.

I particularly like the clever way in which the operator of the ‘Hitachi - Zaxis 130 LCN’ excavator is able to ‘slide’ laterally along the pipes without the need to crab sideways on the tracks.

Introduced, warm-season, perennial, erect C4 grass to 1.2 m tall; plant tufts are joined by thick stolons and stem bases are flattened. Leaf sheath-blade junctions are usually hairy. Flowerheads are digitate or subdigitate, with 6-18 thick branches (5-10 cm long) often in 2 whorls. Spikelets are 3-4-flowered, blunt-tipped, greenish brown and 2-awned. Flowering is from spring to autumn. A native of Africa, it is widely sown as a pasture species and roadside stabilizer. Requires reasonably well-drained soils. Suited to drier and less fertile conditions than setaria or kikuyu, but persists best under fertile conditions. Doesn’t tolerate very acid soils or high exchangeable aluminium. Suited as pioneer species as it easily establishes from seed, spreads by stolons and is a good binder of soils. Very drought tolerant, moderately frost tolerant, but has poor waterlogging tolerance. Capable of high yields and has low oxalate levels. Range of varieties that range from pioneering types that are good for soil conservation but are low quality, to higher quality varieties for grazing. Persists best under fertile conditions and responds strongly to nitrogen in the presence of adequate phosphorus. To maintain good feed value, keep growth relatively short and maintain a legume component.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the second week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

At this section of the river, behind the La Vallee Apartments, the guys are continuing the bank protection work: rolling down strips of membrane, prior to being stapled into the bank. This is a slightly less complicated process to that used on the higher/steeper slopes further up-river, where they drilled/filled 6-foot hollow tubes into the faces of the bank.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

At this section of the river, behind the La Vallee Apartments, the guys are continuing the bank protection work: rolling down strips of membrane, prior to being stapled into the bank. This is a slightly less complicated process to that sued on the higher/steeper slopes further up-river, where they drilled/filled 6-foot hollow tubes into the faces of the bank.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the second week of October 2016.

Meanwhile, at the Silverbridge site, adjacent to the N11 dual-carriageway:

We last visited here 2 years ago in November 2014, where bank stabilisation works involving excavation, repair and building of a support wall structure were being carried out by JONS Construction on behalf of the National Roads Authority.

We would occasionally catch sight of this work in the distance. Quite an impressive little piece of structural engineering.

Having built a retaining concave wall, backfilled for solidity, they were also drilling, fixing and sealing ground anchors to pin the entire structure together.

flic.kr/p/paSU8U

Now we see that further works are being undertaken.

Word has it that extra ‘stabilisation work’ has to be done to protect the integrity of the riverbank. At the section here we can see that there’s not much space between the edge of the rock face and the Armco at the side of the dual-carriageway.

Have yet to determine what precisely that will entail. Serious work to re-inforce the side access ramp down to the river.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these were used, back in 2012, to line the north bank of the existing riverbank adjacent to The Slang/Rehills stretch.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, were used to cover the excavated riverbed, and also to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

Working in these confined spaces puts a premium of safety and communication.

I particularly like the clever way in which the operator of the ‘Hitachi - Zaxis 130 LCN’ excavator is able to ‘slide’ laterally along the pipes without the need to crab sideways on the tracks.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the third week of October 2016.

Meanwhile, at the Silverbridge site, adjacent to the N11 dual-carriageway:

We last visited here 2 years ago in November 2014, where bank stabilisation works involving excavation, repair and building of a support wall structure were being carried out by JONS Construction on behalf of the National Roads Authority.

We would occasionally catch sight of this work in the distance. Quite an impressive little piece of structural engineering.

Having built a retaining concave wall, backfilled for solidity, they were also drilling, fixing and sealing ground anchors to pin the entire structure together.

flic.kr/p/paSU8U

Now we see that further works are being undertaken.

Word has it that extra ‘stabilisation work’ has to be done to protect the integrity of the riverbank. At the section here we can see that there’s not much space between the edge of the rock face and the Armco at the side of the dual-carriageway.

Have yet to determine what precisely that will entail. Serious work to re-inforce the side access ramp down to the river.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these were used, back in 2012, to line the north bank of the existing riverbank adjacent to The Slang/Rehills stretch.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, were used to cover the excavated riverbed, and also to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

Working in these confined spaces puts a premium of safety and communication.

The guys have hard-filled a working shelf on the riverbed, to allow machinery access to the rockface. Obviously some serious drilling is called for before some form of extra 'pinning' is put in place.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the third week of October 2016.

Meanwhile, at the Silverbridge site, adjacent to the N11 dual-carriageway:

We last visited here 2 years ago in November 2014, where bank stabilisation works involving excavation, repair and building of a support wall structure were being carried out by JONS Construction on behalf of the National Roads Authority.

We would occasionally catch sight of this work in the distance. Quite an impressive little piece of structural engineering.

Having built a retaining concave wall, backfilled for solidity, they were also drilling, fixing and sealing ground anchors to pin the entire structure together.

flic.kr/p/paSU8U

Now we see that further works are being undertaken.

Word has it that extra ‘stabilisation work’ has to be done to protect the integrity of the riverbank. At the section here we can see that there’s not much space between the edge of the rock face and the Armco at the side of the dual-carriageway.

Have yet to determine what precisely that will entail. Serious work to re-inforce the side access ramp down to the river.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these were used, back in 2012, to line the north bank of the existing riverbank adjacent to The Slang/Rehills stretch.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, were used to cover the excavated riverbed, and also to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

Working in these confined spaces puts a premium of safety and communication.

The guys have hard-filled a working shelf on the riverbed, to allow machinery access to the rockface. Obviously some serious drilling is called for before some form of extra 'pinning' is put in place.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the last week of April 2013, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

At this section of the river, behind the La Vallee Apartments, the guys are continuing the bank protection work: rolling down strips of membrane, prior to being stapled into the bank. This is a slightly less complicated process to that used on the higher/steeper slopes further up-river, where they drilled/filled 6-foot hollow tubes into the faces of the bank. These 2 guys had to fill the steel gabions with stone by hand!

Introduced, warm-season, perennial, erect C4 grass to 1.2 m tall; plant tufts are joined by thick stolons and stem bases are flattened. Leaf sheath-blade junctions are usually hairy. Flowerheads are digitate or subdigitate, with 6-18 thick branches (5-10 cm long) often in 2 whorls. Spikelets are 3-4-flowered, blunt-tipped, greenish brown and 2-awned. Flowering is from spring to autumn. A native of Africa, it is widely sown as a pasture species and roadside stabilizer. Requires reasonably well-drained soils. Suited to drier and less fertile conditions than setaria or kikuyu, but persists best under fertile conditions. Doesn’t tolerate very acid soils or high exchangeable aluminium. Suited as pioneer species as it easily establishes from seed, spreads by stolons and is a good binder of soils. Very drought tolerant, moderately frost tolerant, but has poor waterlogging tolerance. Capable of high yields and has low oxalate levels. Range of varieties that range from pioneering types that are good for soil conservation but are low quality, to higher quality varieties for grazing. Persists best under fertile conditions and responds strongly to nitrogen in the presence of adequate phosphorus. To maintain good feed value, keep growth relatively short and maintain a legume component.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the second week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

At this section of the river, behind the La Vallee Apartments, the guys are continuing the bank protection work: rolling down strips of membrane, prior to being stapled into the bank. This is a slightly less complicated process to that used on the higher/steeper slopes further up-river, where they drilled/filled 6-foot hollow tubes into the faces of the bank.

Introduced, warm-season, short-lived perennial, prostrate to semi-erect legume with a shallow taproot. Leaves have 2 asymmetrical, obovate to rounded leaflets, each 12-35 mm long. Flowerheads consist of 1-2 flowers in the leaf axils,

each with 5 symmetrically arranged yellow petals. Pods are linear, flat, sparsely to very hairy and 35-40 mm long. Flowering is in the warmer months. A native of North and South America, it is sown for

grazing and naturalized in frost free areas. It is suited to free-draining, lower fertility, acid soils

and cannot tolerate heavy soils or waterlogging. Not

recommended for fertile soils. Frost can limit spread. Wynn is the only sown cultivar. Seeds germinate and establish quickly and plants can rapidly grow and spread. Produces good weight gains in cattle, but old stems

have low feed value. It has low palatability for cattle during the growing season and is not readily grazed until grass quality

has declined sufficiently in autumn. It is not grazed by horses. Grazing management should aim to limit selective grazing during the growing season and maintain plants in a low radiating growth habit. Short

duration heavy grazing with appropriate rest periods is best to achieve this. Grazing periods can be extended in winter in frost free areas when grasses

are dormant. In areas with heavy frosts grazing should occur before first frost to avoid total leaf loss. Continuous heavy grazing leads to a decline in companion grasses, dominance by round-leafed

cassia and invasion by weeds.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.

In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.

Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.

It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.

Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!

Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.

The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?

As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks.

One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.

They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.

They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the second week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

At this section of the river, behind the La Vallee Apartments, the guys are continuing the bank protection work: rolling down strips of membrane, prior to being stapled into the bank.

Jal Mahal (meaning "Water Palace") is a palace in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur city, the capital of the state of Rajasthan, India. The palace and the lake around it were renovated and enlarged in the 18th century by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Amber.

The Jal Mahal palace is an architectural showcase of the Rajput style of architecture (common in Rajasthan) on a grand scale. The building has a picturesque view of the lake itself but owing to its seclusion from land is equally the focus of a viewpoint from the Man Sagar Dam on the eastern side of the lake in front of the backdrop of the surrounding Nahargarh ("tiger-abode") hills. The palace, built in red sandstone, is a five storied building, of which four floors remain underwater when the lake is full and the top floor is exposed. One rectangular Chhatri on the roof is of the Bengal type. The chhatris on the four corners are octagonal. The palace had suffered subsidence in the past and also partial seepage (plasterwork and wall damage equivalent to rising damp) due to waterlogging, which have been repaired under a restoration project of the Government of Rajasthan. The hills surrounding the lake area, towards the north east of Jaipur, have quartzite rock formations (with a thin layer of soil cover), which is part of Aravalli hills range. Rock exposures on the surface in some parts of the project area have also been used for constructing buildings. From the north east, the Kanak Vrindavan valley, where a temple complex sits, the hills slope gently towards the lake edge. Within the lake area, the ground area is made up of a thick mantle of soil, blown sand and alluvium. Forest denudation, particularly in the hilly areas, has caused soil erosion, compounded by wind and water action. Due to this, silt built up in the lake incrementally raises the lake bed. On the terrace of the palace, a garden was built with arched passages. At each corner of this palace semi-octagonal towers were built with an elegant cupola. The restoration works of the early 2000s were not satisfactory and an expert in the field of similar architectural restoration works of Rajasthan palaces carefully examined the designs that could decipher the originally existing designs on the walls, after removing the recent plaster work. Based on this finding, restoration works were re-done with traditional materials for plastering – the plaster consists of a partly organic material: a mortar mix of lime, sand and surkhi mixed with jaggery, guggal and methi powder. It was also noticed that there was hardly any water seepage, except for a little dampness, in the floors below the water level. But the original garden, which existed on the terrace had been lost. Now, a new terrace is being created based on a similar roof garden of the Amer palace. The building is located near the shoreline of a lake with a maximum depth of 15 ft. Though 4 stories of the building are under the surface of the water, they would be build into the bed of the lake.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jal_Mahal

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the third week of September 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.

In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.

Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.

It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.

Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!

Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.

The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?

The following sequences show how the guys reinforced the river bed/bank: spreading out, and stitching in a membrane, layout out wire creels, filled with medium sized stones, welded shut, and laid out in grids, particularly the sections alongside the road/bank side.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.

They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.

They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them.

Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

At this section of the river, behind the La Vallee Apartments, the guys are continuing the bank protection work: rolling down strips of membrane, prior to being stapled into the bank.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the third week of October 2016.

Meanwhile, at the Silverbridge site, adjacent to the N11 dual-carriageway:

We last visited here 2 years ago in November 2014, where bank stabilisation works involving excavation, repair and building of a support wall structure were being carried out by JONS Construction on behalf of the National Roads Authority.

We would occasionally catch sight of this work in the distance. Quite an impressive little piece of structural engineering.

Having built a retaining concave wall, backfilled for solidity, they were also drilling, fixing and sealing ground anchors to pin the entire structure together.

flic.kr/p/paSU8U

Now we see that further works are being undertaken.

Word has it that extra ‘stabilisation work’ has to be done to protect the integrity of the riverbank. At the section here we can see that there’s not much space between the edge of the rock face and the Armco at the side of the dual-carriageway.

Have yet to determine what precisely that will entail. Serious work to re-inforce the side access ramp down to the river.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these were used, back in 2012, to line the north bank of the existing riverbank adjacent to The Slang/Rehills stretch.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, were used to cover the excavated riverbed, and also to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

Working in these confined spaces puts a premium of safety and communication.

The guys have hard-filled a working shelf on the riverbed, to allow machinery access to the rockface. Obviously some serious drilling is called for before some form of extra 'pinning' is put in place.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

At this section of the river, behind the La Vallee Apartments, the guys are continuing the bank protection work: rolling down strips of membrane, prior to being stapled into the bank. This is a slightly less complicated process to that used on the higher/steeper slopes further up-river, where they drilled/filled 6-foot hollow tubes into the faces of the bank.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

At this section of the river, behind the La Vallee Apartments, the guys are continuing the bank protection work: rolling down strips of membrane, prior to being stapled into the bank. This is a slightly less complicated process to that used on the higher/steeper slopes further up-river, where they drilled/filled 6-foot hollow tubes into the faces of the bank.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the second week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

At this section of the river, behind the La Vallee Apartments, the guys are continuing the bank protection work: rolling down strips of membrane, prior to being stapled into the bank. This is a slightly less complicated process to that used on the higher/steeper slopes further up-river, where they drilled/filled 6-foot hollow tubes into the faces of the bank.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.

With the river bed/bank protection work partially completed, the 2nd channel was filled in, and water diverted back to it's primary route. Work continued to back-fill the riverside, building up the overall height of The Slang area.

As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

Introduced warm-season perennial tufted to shortly rhizomatous C4 grass; stems are branching, ascending to erect and to 100 cm tall. Leaves are 2-13 mm wide, 3-30 cm long and green to blue-green. Flowerheads are cylindrical spike-like contracted panicles up to 15 cm long and usually purplish when young. Spikelets are surrounded by bristles that form a soft burr and which fall with the spikelets at maturity. Burrs are 12 mm long, with one bristle longer than the others and bristles are antrorsely barbed; inner bristles are hairy in the lower part and fused only at the base forming a short disc. Flowers from late spring to autumn. A native of the northern hemisphere, it is sometimes sown as a pasture and is commonly a weed of sandy areas; also occurs on sandy loams to clay loams. Most common on the Plains and western edges of the Slopes. Seeds are difficult to sow and but it is very persistent summer-growing species which is not suited to short-term pastures as it is difficult to remove. Prefers well-drained soils and does not tolerate prolonged flooding or waterlogging. Very drought tolerant and responds quickly to rain, but requires fertile soils for production and is frost sensitive. Moderately palatable, but causes big head in horses. May out compete native pastures and is a weed of roadsides.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.

In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.

Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.

It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.

Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!

Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.

The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?

As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks.

One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.

They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.

They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

At this section of the river, behind the La Vallee Apartments, the guys are continuing the bank protection work: rolling down strips of membrane, prior to being stapled into the bank. This is a slightly less complicated process to that used on the higher/steeper slopes further up-river, where they drilled/filled 6-foot hollow tubes into the faces of the bank.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

At this section of the river, behind the La Vallee Apartments, the guys are continuing the bank protection work: rolling down strips of membrane, prior to being stapled into the bank. This is a slightly less complicated process to that used on the higher/steeper slopes further up-river, where they drilled/filled 6-foot hollow tubes into the faces of the bank.

The tea plant can grow between 900 and 2000 m above sea level. Because the plant can`t stand waterlogging the plantation has to be situated on a slope between 30 and 45 degrees. If you don´t cut the tea plant it would grow up to a tree of six meter height.

Munnar is a beautiful hill station, and was the summer resort of the British. Tourists come here to see the vast tea plantations of the area. The town itself is typically Indian with the usual shops, guest houses and is really beautiful and traditional. It is a good place to stay to see the surrounding countryside. It is also a popular place for Indian honeymooners.

The town is divided into two parts, Old Munnar, where the tourist information office is, and Munnar, where the bus station and most guest houses are located.

Munnar is famous for its tea plantations, many of them started by the British. The "Kannan Devan" brand of Tea from the Tata is cultivated and processed here.

There are more than 30 tea estates in and around Munnar. Among them, most of the plantations are taken over by the Tata's Group Kannan Devan Tea Estate. Some of the major tea estates in Munnar include Harrison Malayalam, AVT Tea, Michael's tea, Brooke Bond and Tata Tea. It is one of the biggest centers of tea trade in India.

Until 1790, Munnar and the surrounding area were forests covered, when they were first recognized by the European known as Duke of Wellington. Later in the year 1870, a subordinate of the ruler of Travancore, leased 588 sq. km of land to a Scottish tea planter named J.D. Munro, who was the lawyer in the employee of the Travancore Government. The first tea sapling was planted by A.H. Sharp at Parvathi, which is currently the part of Sevenmullay estate. Presently the whole area is covered by the mile and miles of lush tea gardens, owned by the various private companies.

For the tourists information, Munnar itself is the most popular and picturesque hill stations of Kerala, located 1600 to 1800meters above the sea level. It is popularly known as the 'Kashmir of South India'. The peaceful environment and perfect serenity makes it a famous hot spot among the tourists from all around the globe. Along with the valleys, mountain streams and tea plantations there is lot more to discover in its surrounding area.

Tourists can make a visit to the famous tea museum opened by the Tata Tea group. The museum puts light on the important fact and figures about the growth of the tea plantations in Munnar. It contains curios, old photographs, machineries and other things which have been used since long time. It provides the first hand experience to the tourists about the tea processing and the operations that go into the making of black tea. Some of the major items that are displayed at the museum are the original tea roller, used in earlier time around 1905, than the 'Pelton Wheel', which was used in the power generation plant in the 1920's, a rail engine wheel of the Kumdale Valley Light Railway.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

At this section of the river, behind the La Vallee Apartments, the guys are continuing the bank protection work: rolling down strips of membrane, prior to being stapled into the bank. This is a slightly less complicated process to that used on the higher/steeper slopes further up-river, where they drilled/filled 6-foot hollow tubes into the faces of the bank.

Introduced cool-season annual C3 herb 30-200 cm tall. Stems are erect, hollow and exude white latex if damaged. Leaves are thin, soft, 6-35 cm long, with irregularly toothed margins ending in soft spines. Flowerheads are panicles, with heads (5-20 mm wide) containing yellow petal-like flowers. Fruits are ribbed, wrinkled and topped with a tuft of silky hairs. Flowers throughout the year, but especially winter and spring. A native of Europe, it is a weed of disturbed areas, such as roadsides, stockyards, dairy laneways and cropping. It is well adapted to a wide range of soils and environments, but is drought and waterlogging intolerant. Edible as a vegetable, either cooked or raw. Highly palatable and nutritious, but suspected of occasionally causing photosensitisation in cattle. Only a nuisance weed of pastures in difficult to access areas, as it is readily grazed by stock where they can reach it. Can be a problem in reduced-till and stubble retention systems due to herbicide resistance. Can act as an alternative host to pest and diseases of crops. Can be controlled by grazing, chipping, cultivation and herbicides. For control, it is essential to prevent its prolific seed production. Fruits are dispersed long distance on the wind.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the second week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the third week of October 2016.

Meanwhile, at the Silverbridge site, adjacent to the N11 dual-carriageway:

We last visited here 2 years ago in November 2014, where bank stabilisation works involving excavation, repair and building of a support wall structure were being carried out by JONS Construction on behalf of the National Roads Authority.

We would occasionally catch sight of this work in the distance. Quite an impressive little piece of structural engineering.

Having built a retaining concave wall, backfilled for solidity, they were also drilling, fixing and sealing ground anchors to pin the entire structure together.

flic.kr/p/paSU8U

Now we see that further works are being undertaken.

Word has it that extra ‘stabilisation work’ has to be done to protect the integrity of the riverbank. At the section here we can see that there’s not much space between the edge of the rock face and the Armco at the side of the dual-carriageway.

Have yet to determine what precisely that will entail. Serious work to re-inforce the side access ramp down to the river.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these were used, back in 2012, to line the north bank of the existing riverbank adjacent to The Slang/Rehills stretch.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, were used to cover the excavated riverbed, and also to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

Working in these confined spaces puts a premium of safety and communication.

The guys have hard-filled a working shelf on the riverbed, to allow machinery access to the rockface. Obviously some serious drilling is called for before some form of extra 'pinning' is put in place.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the second week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

At this section of the river, behind the La Vallee Apartments, the guys are continuing the bank protection work: rolling down strips of membrane, prior to being stapled into the bank. This is a slightly less complicated process to that used on the higher/steeper slopes further up-river, where they drilled/filled 6-foot hollow tubes into the faces of the bank.

The tea plant can grow between 900 and 2000 m above sea level. Because the plant can`t stand waterlogging the plantation has to be situated on a slope between 30 and 45 degrees. If you don´t cut the tea plant it would grow up to a tree of six meter height.

Munnar is a beautiful hill station, and was the summer resort of the British. Tourists come here to see the vast tea plantations of the area. The town itself is typically Indian with the usual shops, guest houses and is really beautiful and traditional. It is a good place to stay to see the surrounding countryside. It is also a popular place for Indian honeymooners.

The town is divided into two parts, Old Munnar, where the tourist information office is, and Munnar, where the bus station and most guest houses are located.

Munnar is famous for its tea plantations, many of them started by the British. The "Kannan Devan" brand of Tea from the Tata is cultivated and processed here.

There are more than 30 tea estates in and around Munnar. Among them, most of the plantations are taken over by the Tata's Group Kannan Devan Tea Estate. Some of the major tea estates in Munnar include Harrison Malayalam, AVT Tea, Michael's tea, Brooke Bond and Tata Tea. It is one of the biggest centers of tea trade in India.

Until 1790, Munnar and the surrounding area were forests covered, when they were first recognized by the European known as Duke of Wellington. Later in the year 1870, a subordinate of the ruler of Travancore, leased 588 sq. km of land to a Scottish tea planter named J.D. Munro, who was the lawyer in the employee of the Travancore Government. The first tea sapling was planted by A.H. Sharp at Parvathi, which is currently the part of Sevenmullay estate. Presently the whole area is covered by the mile and miles of lush tea gardens, owned by the various private companies.

For the tourists information, Munnar itself is the most popular and picturesque hill stations of Kerala, located 1600 to 1800meters above the sea level. It is popularly known as the 'Kashmir of South India'. The peaceful environment and perfect serenity makes it a famous hot spot among the tourists from all around the globe. Along with the valleys, mountain streams and tea plantations there is lot more to discover in its surrounding area.

Tourists can make a visit to the famous tea museum opened by the Tata Tea group. The museum puts light on the important fact and figures about the growth of the tea plantations in Munnar. It contains curios, old photographs, machineries and other things which have been used since long time. It provides the first hand experience to the tourists about the tea processing and the operations that go into the making of black tea. Some of the major items that are displayed at the museum are the original tea roller, used in earlier time around 1905, than the 'Pelton Wheel', which was used in the power generation plant in the 1920's, a rail engine wheel of the Kumdale Valley Light Railway.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the third week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.

Work continues along the river bend, adjacent to The Slang area.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the third week of October 2016.

Meanwhile, at the Silverbridge site, adjacent to the N11 dual-carriageway:

We last visited here 2 years ago in November 2014, where bank stabilisation works involving excavation, repair and building of a support wall structure were being carried out by JONS Construction on behalf of the National Roads Authority.

We would occasionally catch sight of this work in the distance. Quite an impressive little piece of structural engineering.

Having built a retaining concave wall, backfilled for solidity, they were also drilling, fixing and sealing ground anchors to pin the entire structure together.

flic.kr/p/paSU8U

Now we see that further works are being undertaken.

Word has it that extra ‘stabilisation work’ has to be done to protect the integrity of the riverbank. At the section here we can see that there’s not much space between the edge of the rock face and the Armco at the side of the dual-carriageway.

Have yet to determine what precisely that will entail. Serious work to re-inforce the side access ramp down to the river.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these were used, back in 2012, to line the north bank of the existing riverbank adjacent to The Slang/Rehills stretch.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, were used to cover the excavated riverbed, and also to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

Working in these confined spaces puts a premium of safety and communication.

The guys have hard-filled a working shelf on the riverbed, to allow machinery access to the rockface. Obviously some serious drilling is called for before some form of extra 'pinning' is put in place.

Introduced, warm-season, short-lived perennial, prostrate to semi-erect legume with a shallow taproot. Leaves have 2 asymmetrical, obovate to rounded leaflets, each 12-35 mm long. Flowerheads consist of 1-2 flowers in the leaf axils,

each with 5 symmetrically arranged yellow petals. Pods are linear, flat, sparsely to very hairy and 35-40 mm long. Flowering is in the warmer months. A native of North and South America, it is sown for

grazing and naturalized in frost free areas. It is suited to free-draining, lower fertility, acid soils

and cannot tolerate heavy soils or waterlogging. Not

recommended for fertile soils. Frost can limit spread. Wynn is the only sown cultivar. Seeds germinate and establish quickly and plants can rapidly grow and spread. Produces good weight gains in cattle, but old stems

have low feed value. It has low palatability for cattle during the growing season and is not readily grazed until grass quality

has declined sufficiently in autumn. It is not grazed by horses. Grazing management should aim to limit selective grazing during the growing season and maintain plants in a low radiating growth habit. Short

duration heavy grazing with appropriate rest periods is best to achieve this. Grazing periods can be extended in winter in frost free areas when grasses

are dormant. In areas with heavy frosts grazing should occur before first frost to avoid total leaf loss. Continuous heavy grazing leads to a decline in companion grasses, dominance by round-leafed

cassia and invasion by weeds.

TEUCHITLAN, JALISCO, MEXICO - JUNE 08: At least 90 houses were flooded, 12 vehicles were swept away, five fences fell and eight posts up after a strong waterspout struck the town of Teuchitlan, Saturday, June 8th, 2013, in central Valles of Jalisco region, Mexico. Several units of Jalisco Civil Protection from nearby towns, the State Council for Accident Prevention, Mexican Red Cross and the Mexican Army who implemented the plan DN-III arrived at the scene of the disaster to serve the population. The storm began at 19:00 and ended at 22:00 hours, its duration and intensity caused the Escondido River, near the county seat, grew and overflowed onto the streets, behind the town's main square. The water reached levels between 1.50 and 1.80 meters high, which led to waterlogging several city blocks. Authorities and residents rescued about 75 people, was looking for a person who had been reported missing and it housed 13 more. (Photo by Hugo Ortuno)

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.

In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.

Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.

It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.

Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!

Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.

The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?

As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks.

One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.

They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.

They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the second week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

At this section of the river, behind the La Vallee Apartments, the guys are continuing the bank protection work: rolling down strips of membrane, prior to being stapled into the bank. This is a slightly less complicated process to that used on the higher/steeper slopes further up-river, where they drilled/filled 6-foot hollow tubes into the faces of the bank.

Introduced cool-season annual C3 herb 30-200 cm tall. Stems are erect, hollow and exude white latex if damaged. Leaves are thin, soft, 6-35 cm long, with irregularly toothed margins ending in soft spines. Flowerheads are panicles, with heads (5-20 mm wide) containing yellow petal-like flowers. Fruits are ribbed, wrinkled and topped with a tuft of silky hairs. Flowers throughout the year, but especially winter and spring. A native of Europe, it is a weed of disturbed areas, such as roadsides, stockyards, dairy laneways and cropping. It is well adapted to a wide range of soils and environments, but is drought and waterlogging intolerant. Edible as a vegetable, either cooked or raw. Highly palatable and nutritious, but suspected of occasionally causing photosensitisation in cattle. Only a nuisance weed of pastures in difficult to access areas, as it is readily grazed by stock where they can reach it. Can be a problem in reduced-till and stubble retention systems due to herbicide resistance. Can act as an alternative host to pest and diseases of crops. Can be controlled by grazing, chipping, cultivation and herbicides. For control, it is essential to prevent its prolific seed production. Fruits are dispersed long distance on the wind.

Introduced, warm-season, perennial, erect C4 grass to 1.2 m tall; plant tufts are joined by thick stolons and stem bases are flattened. Leaf sheath-blade junctions are usually hairy. Flowerheads are digitate or subdigitate, with 6-18 thick branches (5-10 cm long) often in 2 whorls. Spikelets are 3-4-flowered, blunt-tipped, greenish brown and 2-awned. Flowering is from spring to autumn. A native of Africa, it is widely sown as a pasture species and roadside stabilizer. Requires reasonably well-drained soils. Suited to drier and less fertile conditions than setaria or kikuyu, but persists best under fertile conditions. Doesn’t tolerate very acid soils or high exchangeable aluminium. Suited as pioneer species as it easily establishes from seed, spreads by stolons and is a good binder of soils. Very drought tolerant, moderately frost tolerant, but has poor waterlogging tolerance. Capable of high yields and has low oxalate levels. Range of varieties that range from pioneering types that are good for soil conservation but are low quality, to higher quality varieties for grazing. Persists best under fertile conditions and responds strongly to nitrogen in the presence of adequate phosphorus. To maintain good feed value, keep growth relatively short and maintain a legume component.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.

In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.

Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.

It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.

Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!

Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.

The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?

As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks.

One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.

They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.

They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the third week of October 2016.

Meanwhile, at the Silverbridge site, adjacent to the N11 dual-carriageway:

We last visited here 2 years ago in November 2014, where bank stabilisation works involving excavation, repair and building of a support wall structure were being carried out by JONS Construction on behalf of the National Roads Authority.

We would occasionally catch sight of this work in the distance. Quite an impressive little piece of structural engineering.

Having built a retaining concave wall, backfilled for solidity, they were also drilling, fixing and sealing ground anchors to pin the entire structure together.

flic.kr/p/paSU8U

Now we see that further works are being undertaken.

Word has it that extra ‘stabilisation work’ has to be done to protect the integrity of the riverbank. At the section here we can see that there’s not much space between the edge of the rock face and the Armco at the side of the dual-carriageway.

Have yet to determine what precisely that will entail. Serious work to re-inforce the side access ramp down to the river.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these were used, back in 2012, to line the north bank of the existing riverbank adjacent to The Slang/Rehills stretch.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, were used to cover the excavated riverbed, and also to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

Working in these confined spaces puts a premium of safety and communication.

The guys have hard-filled a working shelf on the riverbed, to allow machinery access to the rockface. Obviously some serious drilling is called for before some form of extra 'pinning' is put in place.

Cosmeston Medieval Village is a "living history" medieval village near Lavernock in the Vale of Glamorgan not far from Penarth and Cardiff in south Wales. Based upon remains discovered during a 1980s archaeological dig in the grounds of Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, it is a re-creation of 14th century peasant life in Wales in the Late Middle Ages.

The reconstructed village regularly plays host to groups of reenactors, who camp in authentic tents around the outskirts of the village, and perform displays of historical combat for the public.

The original Cosmeston village grew around a fortified manor house constructed sometime around the 12th century by the De Costentin family, who were among the first Norman invaders of Wales in the early 12th century following William the Conqueror's invasion of neighbouring England in 1066. It is unlikely that the manor house at the site was a substantial building and there is documentary evidence that by 1437 the manor house had already fallen into total ruin. Its precise site has just been located. The village would have consisted of a number of small stone round houses, or crofts, with thatched roofs, as depicted in the current reconstruction, and the village population would have been between 50 and 100 people at most, including children.

The de Costentin family originated on the Cotentin peninsula in northern France. They were the first lords of the manor and they called the village Costentinstune, which over time became known as Cosmeston. They built the original manor house and, perhaps, a few dwellings or small farms, but for the next two centuries it appears that little further development occurred.

Around 1316 the manor passed into the hands of the de Caversham family, also of Norman descent.

The buildings that have been excavated so far seem to be from the 14th century. It would appear that the de Caversham family brought a more designed approach to the development of the community and a better regulated and more compact settlement began to develop during their stewardship of the village.

There is little sign that the village continued to develop much past the later middle ages. Unusually, no Norman church was ever established in the immediate area, so by 1824 all that remained of Cosmeston village were four isolated crofts and the Little Cosmeston Farmhouse as shown on the Marquis of Bute's detailed maps of the time. It is quite possible that the majority of the villagers were wiped out during the Black Death plague of the 1340s or the later outbreaks, leaving Cosmeston a Deserted medieval village.

In addition to the plague, the villagers would have had to combat other difficulties. The land is low-lying and at the mercy of the many water sources that now feed the Cosmeston Lake. There is substantial evidence of drainage dykes, but even they would have struggled to keep the arable land free from waterlogging and constant flooding. Additionally the period was one of permanent political upheaval with intermittent resistance and armed conflict between several local Welsh leaders. In January 1316, for instance, Llywelyn Bren attacked Caerphilly Castle, and for the next two months there was conflict and devastation throughout the Glamorgan region.

By the 20th century all evidence of the village had vanished and local residents had no idea of its previous existence. When the Snocem Concrete works and the Cosmeston limestone quarry closed in 1970, the land was developed under Countryside Commission funding as a country park. During the landscaping of the new country park the first evidence of the medieval village was unearthed and an archeological exploration was undertaken.

The resulting heritage reconstruction has been described as the best representation of a medieval village currently available in Britain. In addition to being open to the general public, the village accepts school tours and archeological groups, together with staging of special events and re-enactments throughout the year

Cosmeston has been used as a film location for many productions, including a 2014 episode of the hit BBC TV drama series Doctor Who, Merlin and Galavant.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the third week of September 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.

In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.

Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.

It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.

Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!

Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.

The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?

The following sequences show how the guys reinforced the river bed/bank: spreading out, and stitching in a membrane, layout out wire creels, filled with medium sized stones, welded shut, and laid out in grids, particularly the sections alongside the road/bank side.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.

They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.

They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them.

Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the third week of September 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.

In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.

Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.

It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.

Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!

Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.

The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?

The following sequences show how the guys reinforced the river bed/bank: spreading out, and stitching in a membrane, layout out wire creels, filled with medium sized stones, welded shut, and laid out in grids, particularly the sections alongside the road/bank side.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.

They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.

They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them.

Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the third week of October 2016.

Meanwhile, at the Silverbridge site, adjacent to the N11 dual-carriageway:

We last visited here 2 years ago in November 2014, where bank stabilisation works involving excavation, repair and building of a support wall structure were being carried out by JONS Construction on behalf of the National Roads Authority.

We would occasionally catch sight of this work in the distance. Quite an impressive little piece of structural engineering.

Having built a retaining concave wall, backfilled for solidity, they were also drilling, fixing and sealing ground anchors to pin the entire structure together.

flic.kr/p/paSU8U

Now we see that further works are being undertaken.

Word has it that extra ‘stabilisation work’ has to be done to protect the integrity of the riverbank. At the section here we can see that there’s not much space between the edge of the rock face and the Armco at the side of the dual-carriageway.

Have yet to determine what precisely that will entail. Serious work to re-inforce the side access ramp down to the river.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these were used, back in 2012, to line the north bank of the existing riverbank adjacent to The Slang/Rehills stretch.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, were used to cover the excavated riverbed, and also to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

Working in these confined spaces puts a premium of safety and communication.

The guys have hard-filled a working shelf on the riverbed, to allow machinery access to the rockface. Obviously some serious drilling is called for before some form of extra 'pinning' is put in place.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

At this section of the river, behind the La Vallee Apartments, the guys are continuing the bank protection work: rolling down strips of membrane, prior to being stapled into the bank. This is a slightly less complicated process to that used on the higher/steeper slopes further up-river, where they drilled/filled 6-foot hollow tubes into the faces of the bank.

River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.

These images were taken during the third week of October 2016.

Meanwhile, at the Silverbridge site, adjacent to the N11 dual-carriageway:

We last visited here 2 years ago in November 2014, where bank stabilisation works involving excavation, repair and building of a support wall structure were being carried out by JONS Construction on behalf of the National Roads Authority.

We would occasionally catch sight of this work in the distance. Quite an impressive little piece of structural engineering.

Having built a retaining concave wall, backfilled for solidity, they were also drilling, fixing and sealing ground anchors to pin the entire structure together.

flic.kr/p/paSU8U

Now we see that further works are being undertaken.

Word has it that extra ‘stabilisation work’ has to be done to protect the integrity of the riverbank. At the section here we can see that there’s not much space between the edge of the rock face and the Armco at the side of the dual-carriageway.

Have yet to determine what precisely that will entail. Serious work to re-inforce the side access ramp down to the river.

Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these were used, back in 2012, to line the north bank of the existing riverbank adjacent to The Slang/Rehills stretch.

Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, were used to cover the excavated riverbed, and also to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.

Working in these confined spaces puts a premium of safety and communication.

The guys have hard-filled a working shelf on the riverbed, to allow machinery access to the rockface. Obviously some serious drilling is called for before some form of extra 'pinning' is put in place.

Introduced, yearlong-green, perennial, densely tufted grass to 1.5 m tall. Stem bases are flattened and often white. Leaves are broad, hairless and bluish green in colour; new leaves are folded. Flowerheads are erect, 1-sided, tightly contracted panicles when they first emerge; the branches spreading at maturity. A native of Europe, it is sown in pastures and naturalised along roadsides. Tolerant of acid soils (to pHCaCl2 4.0), and high exchangeable aluminium, it is often sown in these areas. Not tolerant of waterlogging. Productive, but marginally lower quality than either phalaris or tall fescue. More tolerant of acid, lower fertility soils than other sown temperate grasses, but also responds to fertiliser. There are a range of varieties with different management requirements. Avoid bulky grass growth of summer active varieties during summer and autumn to maintain quality. Heavy close grazing with sheep will kill plants, especially summer active varieties. Strategic grazing and spelling is important; set stocking through summer is not recommended.