River weirs new guidance – construction, maintenance, modification and removal

River Weirs – Good Practice Guide was published in 2003, focusing largely on the construction and maintenance of weirs, although also removal. On 7^th February 2014 a consultation workshop was held at the CIRIA offices in London to scope out the content and structure for a proposed new guide on river weirs, covering the entire life cycle from construction to removal.

Discussions on the day focused on providing a balanced guidance that considers the construction and operational maintenance, highlighted that the guide should incorporate case studies throughout and should direct users to appropriate technical guidance in areas such as hydropower, flood management and others.

The workshop opened with case study presentations illustrating new weir construction; weir maintenance; weir removal and modifications from representatives of various stakeholders including the Canals and River Trust, River Restoration Centre, JBA Consulting and the Environment Agency.

The drivers for an update of the Weirs guide are to consider the implications of the Water Framework Directive and other new environmental requirements. Professional and public attitudes to biodiversity have also changed with greater drivers for returning rivers to their natural form, increasing the scope of consultation since the last guide.

This project, ‘Design, modification and removal of river weirs’ is currently in scoping phase. Please contact Owen Jenkins if you would like more information.