Orange Serpentine stream given health check in project
A stream in Telford which has run bright orange for years is being helped to turn a healthier colour.
The Serpentine flows through the old Hadley brickworks, off Sommerfield Road, where deposits of clay and iron ore have turned it an eerie orange colour over the years.
No wildlife has been able to survive in the stream and the water then flows into the River Severn via the River Tern.
WATCH work to take place on stream
Now, Shropshire Wild Trust is leading a project to restore a reed bed system which was installed in the stream in the 1980s and cut back overhanging trees to let more sunlight through.
The trust said that following the work, within a few months, the water should start to change colour – to a less vivid orange.
Kirsty Brown, rivers project officer at Shropshire Wildlife Trust, said: “This is one of the most fascinating projects I have worked on.
“The convention on maps is that streams are shown in blue, so to turn up and find it is actually orange is quite surreal.
“If we can use a natural approach to help clean up the stream it will make drinking water cleaner and help wildlife to return. The wildlife then creates a virtuous circle by filtering the water even more.”
Contractors are currently on site cutting back trees and the new reed bed system – using modern techniques of coir (coconut fibre) reed bed mats and ‘leaky dams’ – will be installed in a few months.
Ms Brown added: “The change won’t be overnight, but within a few months as the reed bed establishes, the water should start to change colour.
“I can’t promise it will be the bright blue of maps, but I would be happy to settle for a less vivid orange and let the wildlife do the rest.
“With a little time, this area will once again be a lovely place to visit for people and wildlife.”
The land has been recently adopted by Betts Ecology and Estates as part of the open greenspace.
The land and associated woodland will be managed by Betts to enhance biodiversity and for the enjoyment of local residents.
The project is part of the Love Your River Telford initiative – cleaning up brooks and streams of the town, helping wildlife to return to the aquatic environment and to create places for people to enjoy.
Love Your River Telford is funded by the Environment Agency and supported by Telford and Wrekin Council.
