Silt crisis worsens at Gloucester Docks despite £4m dredging plan

Summarised from Gloucestershire Live's report · Updated 10 Oct, 07:31 · Archive

Silt build-up at Gloucester Docks has reached critical levels, with sediment now visible above water in the Main Basin.

Gloucester Docks is experiencing a significant silt build-up that has worsened in recent times. The accumulated sediment now protrudes above the water in the Main Basin, making navigation difficult and trapping some vessels. The silt ingress is primarily caused by water being pumped from the River Severn into the Docks to supply Bristol with drinking water. The Canal and River Trust has a long-term contract with Bristol Water that observers say is unfavourable to the charity.

The Trust has responded by doubling its dredging budget from £2m to £4m, with an enhanced programme that began in October. The initiative aims to increase navigation depths, support boaters and waterside businesses, and protect the Docks' role as a leisure, tourism and heritage destination. Alongside dredging, the Trust will explore measures to reduce future silt ingress and improve long-term resilience. However, former city mayor Chris Witts, who has worked on River Severn tanker barges, questions whether this approach will adequately solve the problem, suggesting instead that silt should be dumped in the Severn Estuary.

Read the report

• State of Gloucester Docks in pictures as boats get stuck and 'water laps at pile of mud'"They need to get permission to dump it back in the river"Gloucestershire Live · 10 Oct, 06:00

In this story: Gloucester Docks · Gloucester and Sharpness Canal · River Severn · Bristol · Canal and River Trust · Bristol Water · Chris Witts

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