MAISEMORE WEIR ON THE SEVERN is causing concern as to its condition.
It has partially collapsed which is why it is causing such concern, Richard Attwood reports.
Partially collapsed
Owing to the low river levels caused by this summer's long spell of dry weather, the top of the weir has been exposed and the weir seems to have partially collapsed.
With river water so low its condition can be seen in the image, and should it collapse completely it would cause extensive flooding to the surrounding area.
And then navigation on the lowered river would be impossible up to Tewkesbury.
A local farmer warned:
"The concrete is corroding, there's a big hole and there's another big piece of concrete that's probably going to wash away very shortly as well.
"Over the last 12 months you could see it deteriorating and in the last few weeks it's gone downhill big time."
Monitoring condition
In a statement the Canal and River Trust told:
"We've been monitoring the condition of the weir on a regular basis over the past couple of years following some recent deterioration of the concrete spillway.
"As it stands there's currently no risk to navigation on the Severn, Gloucester Docks or the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.
If the weir should collapse as warned, its repair would likely take a year to repair, with the Severn then closed to navigation until repaired. Maintenance is essential, but this is something that is no longer carried out.