Recently, ATM Northern Operations team delivered an interesting project for one of our client’s.

Two ponds were completely covered with vegetation, so it was ATM’s challenge to reduce the vegetation by 30% to create some channels of open water, while leaving marginal vegetation for wildlife.

National Highways’ own Ecologists carried out intensive surveys of the water quality and content before the works proceeded, and along with our client, monitored the work throughout.

Both ponds presented challenges, with the north pond having the better access, a 29-ton, 18 meter Long Reach Excavator was hired in from one of our trusted supply chain partners to achieve the desired results.

Firstly, our site team flailed the heavy vegetation before removing the roots and silt which were left on the banks of the pond overnight to give any potential invertebrates a chance to return to the pond.

An area within the site boundary was established as stacking for habitat and was forwarded utilising a 5-ton tracked dumper.

The south pond proved more difficult for access, so a Truxor (amphibious boat) complete with Clam Shell bucket was hired from another of our trusted supply chain partners to extract the vegetation.

Initially our team had to excavate a slipway to gain access in order for the amphibious boat to remove and forward the vegetation to the side of the pond.

Once the pond was reduced by 30%, our team extracted the material from the edge of the pond and forwarded to another agreed location within the confines of the site for habitat.

Finally, the slipway was reinstated to leave two completed ponds to specification.