The canal, which forms part of the watercourse at the Wildlife Trust’s Fishlake Meadows Nature Reserve, has been in steady decline following decades of recreational pressure and lack of management.
This has eroded sections of the canal and widened the channel, making the water sluggish and undynamic, while bankside vegetation has been impeded by overshadowing from trees and shrubs.
As part of the Romsey Waterways Project, some improvements to the canal have already been made with trees thinned in February 2021, resulting in more sunlight reaching the stream and allowed vegetation in the canal to recover.
Additional works, due to start this month, will focus on creating a more natural meandering water channel in places and protecting the banks from further erosion.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust will install woody berms – a raised margin that catches sediment – in the watercourse at Fishlake Meadows, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) within the River Test and is currently classified as ‘unfavourable’.
Made from timber already on-site, the berms will help create a cleaner, faster flowing waterway, which will give vegetation in the canal a chance to recover and provide vital habitat for invertebrates, birds and mammals.
The berms will also create pockets of deeper water, which will help make the stream more resilient to drought and provide refuge to a host of aquatic species.
The banks at some sections of the canal have become steep through erosion. To restore these areas, bundles of shrub clippings and rocky structures will be installed to help bankside plants recover and safeguard the footpath for visitors.
Over time, with the watercourse restored to a more natural meandering shape and its plant life given a chance to recover, the canal will not only benefit biodiversity but will take on a more aesthetically pleasing state for visitors.
Joanne Gore, Ecology Project Officer for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said: “This much-needed work will help to improve a Site of Special Scientific Interest, increasing biodiversity at the site and, in turn, enhancing the enjoyment that many visitors and local people gain from using the canal footpath for leisure pursuits.
“The Romsey Canal Waterway travels through the heart of Romsey and the improvements will bring more wildlife to the doorsteps of local people”
Boyce Jeffery, from Test Valley Borough Council, said: ““We are delighted to be working with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to carry out much needed work to transform parts of the Romsey Barge Canal.
“This is an exciting project that will significantly enhance the canal’s wildlife and amenity value. And with the continuing efforts from Wilder Romsey, together we will ensure this is maintained for people to enjoy for years to come.”
The canal restoration work – which is due to start on March 7 – is funded by the Environment Agency, Southern Water, Test Valley Borough Council and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.