Dredging for boaters at Gloucester Docks

We’ve spent £3 million in the last three years on dredging the Docks to allow boats and tall vessels to freely navigate and moor in the heart of Gloucester. The dredging programme will remove around 2,500 cubic metres of silt, enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool.

The Docks

The Docks form part of a vital supply chain providing half of the daily water supply for residents and businesses in Bristol. Water is pumped from the River Severn into Gloucester Docks, and along the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. Unfortunately, this also brings tonnes of silt into the Docks from the river, and we’re carrying out an annual programme of dredging to remove it.

The work is being undertaken by Land & Water using a digger mounted on a barge. The silt is then loaded onto a hopper and transported down the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal to a site near Parkend Bridge for safe disposal.

Taking action

Paul Fox, our senior project manager, explains: “Every year we dredge huge amounts of silt from Gloucester Docks as part of our ongoing programme of maintenance. The build-up, caused by water pumped in from the Severn, is monitored by regular surveys so our charity can take action to remove it and ensure craft are able to enter and navigate the docks, including for the popular Tall Ships festival, which is next taking place in 2027.

“Good progress has been made to maintain the depths required with a couple of barge loads of silt being removed each day during the work.”

The Docks are set to welcome thousands of visitors again this summer to enjoy being by the water and surrounded by history, including the popular National Waterways Museum Gloucester.