20 january 2011

Strobelights for Gores River and Beam Brook pumping stations

The Environment Agency is constructing pumping stations at the mouths of the Gores brook and Beam River in the Londons Barking and Dagenham suburbs. The pumping stations are required to maintain the discharge capacity of the waterways during periods with high water levels on the River Thames.

To prevent fish mortality in the pumping stations the stations will be equipped with strobe light systems build by FishFlow Innovations. The purpose of the strobe lights is to keep fish from entering the pumps. The lights will encourage the fish to wait until the spillsluices adjacent to the pumping stations open to provide a safe alternative passage route.

The installation of the strobe lights is one of the measures taken by the Environment Agency to comply with the Eel Regulation 2009 for England and Wales.