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. 

Monitoring priorities are as follows.

Operational Areas

Regular environmental monitoring is undertaken at the following PLA operational areas:

• Royal Terrace Pier; and
• Denton Jetty.

These surveys comprise bathymetric surveys, sediment sampling and analysis for sediment quality, physical characteristics and occasionally biology.

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 Dredging Spatial Information System (DSIS), 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.

Wider Research Objectives

The PLA is actively involved in the Thames Estuary Partnership’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.