For Thames Water

Tree extraction works at Amwell Lane

Share this case study

When a large willow tree fell from Amwell Island into The New River, we were able to extract the timber and root plate whilst avoiding any damage to the walls of the canal or the nearby bridge and services.

Prior to works commencing, a temporary road and public footpath closure were arranged to ensure public protection and to give our teams space to operate safely.

As the island is only accessible by a footbridge, our skilled teams utilised one of our work boats, and dismantled the tree from within the channel. Once branches and logs were cut to a suitable size, they were lifted to the bank using an 8-tonne excavator with a rotator grapple attachment for processing. We were also able to sever the heavy root plate from the island and gently lift it to the bank without causing any damage to the edges.

As a result, the tree was successfully removed before it became dislodged, potentially causing damage to the bridge downstream, and the river has regained its flow. With the guidance of our ecological team, the work was carried out outside bird nesting season and replacement planting was then arranged to ensure to reduction in biodiversity.

Having being on the ground with the onsite Maydencroft teams, I want to highlight just how impressed I was throughout the works from start to completion, with their professionalism, their communication, their adherence to Health and Safety, their combined team strategic - problem solving approach, and their works methodology.” F. Sommers, Thames Water


loading