Silt removal at Marine Lake begins

2:25pm - 23 April 2021
workmen stood on the walkway at Marine Lake in Weston-super-Mare looking out to sea

Silt has started to be washed away from Marine Lake in Weston-super-Mare in the first phase of a £300,000 rejuvenation of the site.

We want to make it a popular outdoor swimming destination once again and to do this, an estimated 35,000 tonnes of compacted silt needs to be removed.

We’re using the high spring tides to ‘flush out’ as much silt as possible naturally before bringing in the machines.

The sluice gates have now been removed and lots of fantastic photos are available on the Mudlarks Facebook page, the community group we’re working with on the long term maintenance and finance plans for Marine Lake.

A digger has also been on site to churn up the silt near the causeway, to make it easier for the tide to flush out more silt.

Marine Lake walkway

It’s hoped that if the bulk is flushed out naturally, then the cost to remove the remaining silt mechanically may be considerably reduced.

This means there will be more money in the pot to pay for refurbishing and enhancing the lake’s facilities, making it a real hub for serious swimmers and families alike.

The flushing out is expected to last about eight weeks, depending on weather conditions.

The lake is now closed to the public to protect your safety while work carries on, although the RNLI can still access it at all times.

Marine Lake was created in the 1920s to give local people the opportunity to swim at all times, not just when the tide was in.

Our investment in Weston’s Marine Lake is part of a £700,000 Great Lakes project which will also involve work at Clevedon and Portishead’s coastal lakes.

The plans for Marine Lake are also included within the adopted placemaking strategy for Weston town centre, which includes a set of themes and ambitions for the town around wellbeing, recreation, being green, low carbon, making it a great place to live work and study, and helping the local economy adjust to the fundamental changes accelerated by coronavirus.