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Monitoring

Monitoring of the environmental effects of activities is an essential part of informing future decision-making. 

The PLA is committed in its environmental policy to carrying out a baseline environmental monitoring survey of the key parts of the Thames Estuary that may be affected by its operations or functions, including dredging decision-making.  The outcome of the baseline survey will be used to assist in identifying a suite of environmental indicators for the river environment.

Monitoring priorities for 2004 -2006 are as follows.

Operational Areas

An initial environmental review has identified the potential for environmental impacts at the following PLA operational areas:

• Royal Terrace Pier; and
• Denton Jetty.

It is proposed to undertake environmental surveys to establish the environmental baseline of the river in the vicinity of the sites, and by comparison with existing data, to determine the environmental quality of these sites, including identifying any factors that may be causing decline.  The survey will comprise sediment sampling and analysis for biology, sediment quality and physical characteristics

Maintenance Dredging Locations

Data collection, monitoring and research are vital if understanding of maintenance dredging and its possible environmental implications is to continue to improve, and if decisions on maintenance dredging are to be well-informed. As demonstrated by the wide range of data which forms the information exchange system, relevant data might be collected from various sources. Data might be collected by organisations as a result of routine monitoring of background or baseline parameters (eg. water quality information collected by the Environment Agency). Targeted monitoring of specific initiatives may be required by the PLA as part of the consenting process for dredging (eg. to determine whether mitigation or compensation measures are performing as required). Relevant data may also be produced as an output of research projects.

In addition, the PLA is undertaking specific research that is considered necessary to inform its maintenance dredging decisions.  For example, monitoring is necessary to provide further information on the potential effect of dredging operations on juvenile fish and water quality.  Four dredge sites have been selected for monitoring and a further four control sites with similar characteristics will also be monitored.

Currently operators are encourage to avoid dredging in the months of June to August due to the increased sensitivity for juvenile fish caused by the combination of low river flows, CSO events (incorporating the discharge of raw sewage into the river) etc.  Monitoring will comprise fish trawls at the sites to be undertaken in August and repeated in December/January 2004.

Water Injection Dredging

A need has been identified for further information on the effects and processes of water injection dredging (WID).  The PLA has monitored a small WI dredge at Denton Wharf and is awaiting the results.  The results will be used to direct a larger research and monitoring programme aimed at determining the fate of sediment displaced by WID. 

Wider Research Objectives

The PLA is actively involved in the TEP’s Thames Estuary Research Forum and it is anticipated that dredging associated research will be identified both through the DLG and the Thames Estuary Research Forum.

Further Information

For further information, or general enquiries about environmental issues, please use this Enquiry Form.