Weir there’s a way, there’s new life for Graeme Hall Swamp

Work began Friday on a pilot project to preserve the ecosystem of Barbados’ last remaining wetland, the Graeme Hall Swamp, while improving conditions for nearby residents who have grappled with mosquito infestation and other environmental woes.

On site, crews started preparatory work for the construction of a weir, a low-lying dam to control the water levels going in and out of the swamp to improve the overall water quality.

Tyrell Inniss of the Ministry of Housing, who is consulting on the project told reporters: “We have already placed several boulders into the channel bottom and what we have done is that we have tighten them together with some concrete then eventually on our second pour we would shape the weir that would control the levels of the water in the swamp itself.”

In addition to controlling the movement of seawater into the brackish water swamp, Inniss said the installation of the weir will also help to tackle stormwater.

“Where now there are stormwater events the water will be able to get up quickly out of the swamp into the near shore,” he said.

He explained that the weir is a major improvement to the sluice gate which has been too cumbersome.

Steve Daniel, Environmental Health Specialist in the Ministry of Health, said the construction of the weir will also benefit public health.

He explained that with the closure of the sluice gate over long periods, invasive species, plants and fauna not natural to the area congested the waterways in the swamp and that led to mosquito breeding.

He said the construction of the weir will help the swamp returning to its brackish nature, significantly reducing the problem.

“What that does is that it would kill the invasive species of lilies that cause the mosquito breeding and it would encourage the growth of fish and things like that,” Daniel said. “Once you change the salinity of the ecosystem it definitely will destroy the habitat for the mosquitos.  Though it is an engineering solution it really has long term public health benefits.”

The experts said they will monitor the performance of the weir over the next year to determine a permanent fix for the issue.

Christ Church South MP Ralph Thorne welcomed the move on behalf of his constituents, noting that residents have suffered for a very long time.

“They have relied on the manual operation of the [sluice] gate, when they need the excess water move they have to call for personnel to come here and manually operate the gate,” said Thorne. “This weir will automate the process so that when there is an overflow when it reaches a certain point it just flows out naturally.

“I am very, very happy about the work that is going on here… what looks like a simple solution here is a solution to a larger problem of mosquito infestation, all kinds of ecological problems, all kinds of environmental problems so that this offers a fix to a larger problem that we have here and I am happy that the work is being done.”

Thorne said he is also keeping a close eye on erosion on Sandy Beach and other areas along the south coast.

He told reporters: “I can say to you the problem extends westward and we are trying to resolve that problem, I spoke to Coastal Zone [Coastal Zone Management Unit] last week and we are trying to produce boulders and sandbags to alleviate that problem. I am talking to the [Ministry of Transport and Works] and the Ministry of Health shortly to preserve the coconut trees.

“A lot of work needs to be done along here and we are happy that the Government is paying attention to it, not only for the sake of tourism but for the sake of locals.”
(SD)