A.G.A. Group UK - Habitat Restoration

Riverine and Stillwater rehabilitation and habitat enhancement

The A.G.A. Group specialise in the use of soft and bio-engineering techniques to carry out both stillwater and riverine habitat restoration and enhancement. Using both natural and semi-natural solutions to improve the aquatic and surrounding ecology.

The techniques employed can range from very simple planting techniques to the use of willow mattresses, willow faggoting (Plate 1.) and the use of coir rolls to establish aquatic plants in difficult situations.

Plants can be used to buffer natural erosion (Plate 2.) such as that caused by wind and wave action and where the conditions are hostile towards natural colonisation.

This is often best achieved by establishing the plants in coir rolls before positioning and fixing the planted coir roll into place. The diagram plate 4. shows one of the many techniques for coir rolls and mattresses..

Willow Faggoting pic

Plate 1. Willow faggoting

Coir rolls establish quickly and give added benefits in situations where wildfowl might make the establishment of plants difficult. Our many years of practical fishery management experience has allowed us to develop techniques in protecting plants both during and after establishment from grazing by ducks, geese and swans.

Plate 2. Bank erosion caused by cattle poaching in this instance.

Plate 3. Coir rolls awaiting transportation to site.

Plate 4. Diagram of coir roll technique.

The photographs (plates 5 and 6.) show work carried out on the Duke of Wellington’s Hampshire Estate, ‘Stratfield Saye’. The project which was designed and led by our senior and principal consultant Ash Girdler was to provide a geo-textile retained bank to the 3^rd oldest iron bridge in the country; it also called for the establishment of emergent aquatic plants this was provided by planted coir rolls. The geo-textile banks were finished with coronation turf. This semi-soft approach ensured that the earth works became re-colonised very quickly and that a 'green' engineering solution was provided.

Plate 5. Stratfield Saye Project.

Plate 6. Stratfield saye project.

Geo-textile is often termed as a ‘soft’ engineering approach to restoration and enhancement, although the material is synthetic, used correctly it can be a benefit to many projects offering a medium to long-term life in a material that whilst synthetic can be utilised in an entirely ‘green’ way.

The A.G.A. Group has it’s own nursery areas for plants, and many of our plants can be supplied from completely fish-free environments which negates the chance of the transfer of potentially pathogenic fish diseases to the receiving fishery, a small point perhaps but attention to detail and a complete service is what tells the A.G.A. Group apart from the rest.