Tees Barrage
Encyclopedia
The Tees Barrage is a barrage across the River Tees
just upriver of Blue House Point in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees
in North East of England and is used to control the flow of the river, preventing flooding and the effects of tidal change
.
The Tees Barrage comprises a river barrage
, road bridge, footbridge
, barge lock, fish pass and white water course
. The waters above the barrage are permanently held at the level of an average high tide
and are used for watersports such as canoeing
, jet ski
ing, dragonboat racing and incorporates a 1 km rowing
course. The barrage is accessible by road only from Thornaby-on-Tees
as there is very limited road access to the north bank of the Tees.
The Tees Barrage and Teesside White Water Course
are developments of the Teesside Development Corporation
.
In between the piers are four 8 m tall, 50 tonne fish belly plates to control the flow of water, operated by 21 tonne hydraulic rams.
The 600 ton road bridge is of a tubular steel arched viaduct design specified at 45 units of HB motorway loading.
The bridge has eight welded tubular steel arches each 17.5 m wide with a 5 m rise but only the four central arches actually cross the waters of the river Tees.
The arches are sprayed with green paint and are sealed against corrosion.
Some 16,500 cubic metres of concrete and 650 tons of steel went into the building of the barrage.
On the downstream side of the central pier is a 29 m tower of lights with reflective globes and plates, supported by guy ropes.
Illumination is provided by four lights on the concrete barrage base for ease of maintenance.
The barrage has two pavilion
s, one on the south bank, and a little-used one on the north bank, both extending under the road bridge.
The south bank pavilion houses the barrage control room and the offices of the SMi - Stockton Middlesbrough Initiative'.
A visitors' centre is also planned for the barrage.
The barrage has a design life of 120 years. The project also included the regeneration of 100 ha
of adjacent derelict land producing riverside walks, parkland and leisure facilities.
proposed a barrage across the Tees in an act of Parliament and then organised a design competition for the barrage that was won by Ove Arup
and the Napper Partnership.
The barrage was constructed and opened by Tarmac Construction.
Construction work was started on November 4, 1991 and with WJ Groundwater Limited diverting the Tees from its course and dewatering the ground.
It was at the time the largest civil engineering project in the UK.
The barrage was opened on 22 April 1995 with an international competition on the white water course, and inaugurated on July 17 the same year by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh
.
In April 2001 ownership of the Tees Barrage and white water course was passed to British Waterways
from its original owners English Partnerships
.
British Waterways are also responsible for managing the 11 miles of navigable grade A two star waters of the river Tees from the barrage up to the Low Moor Weir
at Low Worsall
beyond Yarm
.
Operation of the river below the barrage is the responsibility of the Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority.
Large quantities of natural debris such as branches are being washed down and caught by the barrage that otherwise would have been taken out to sea, and there are ongoing studies looking into the feasibility of burning this debris for power generation in waste-to-energy
power stations.
The lock
is a single-rise lock with two pairs of lock gates to allow light river traffic to negotiate the barrage.
The dimensions of the lock are length 24.88 m, beam 6.08 m, height 5.37 m with a draught of 2.48 m.
If necessary, when the lock is in use, a single leaf steel bascule
lifting bridge over the lock is raised to allow the passage of lock traffic.
There is no charge to use the lock however users must have permits to use the river both above and below the barrage.
marine current turbines and other turbine
devices. This facility is operated and funded by the National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec). It uses the hydraulic head in the barge lock to release water through sluices at a controlled velocity to create a simulation of steady ocean current conditions downstream of the lock.
The first turbine to be tested at this site was Evopod
, a semi submerged floating tidal turbine developed by offshore consultancy Ocean Flow Energy Ltd based in North Shields
.
The test was largely a success and further devices are booked including a Rugged Renewables Savonius rotor that is to be deployed as a building-mounted turbine.
The development of this facility completes NaREC's portfolio of test facilities.
The Blyth centre for excellence boasts facilities for testing the use of renewable energy resources such as solar PV
, wind, wave and tidal power and has been instrumental in the development of the UK renewables sector.
course was created that has since hosted many significant watersport competitions.
A steel footbridge carries walkers and cyclists across the concrete piers of the barrage on the Teesdale Way
, part of the National Cycle Network
.
The footbridge consists of two parts, a steel footbridge across the concrete piers and a hydraulically operated single-leaf steel bascule across the lock to allow river craft to pass.
Although the public cannot gain direct access to the barrage itself, the footbridge affords excellent views of the fish belly plates and hydraulics.
and sea trout to negotiate the barrage a fish pass with fish counter and viewing area is installed next to the north bank pavilion.
Some angling groups argue that the progress of migratory fish is delayed below the barrier as fish have difficulty finding the very narrow entrance to the fish pass and that excessive numbers of foraging seal
s are taking advantage of this delay and are predating these fish and thus damaging the recovery of salmonids on the Tees.
The fish pass still only has provisional approval from the Environment Agency
and as an interim measure fish pen stocks are being used on the river and the barrage lock is being operated in such a way as to allow fish to pass.
Starting in April 2008 British waterways has commissioned a three-year electronic fish tagging survey to help understand the interactions and relationships between various wildlife at the barrage focusing on seal numbers and salmonid migration.
Nearby
NaREC
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
just upriver of Blue House Point in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees (borough)
Stockton-on-Tees is a unitary authority area and borough in the Tees Valley area of north east England, with a population in 2001 of 178,408, rising to 185,880 in 2005 estimates....
in North East of England and is used to control the flow of the river, preventing flooding and the effects of tidal change
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
.
The Tees Barrage comprises a river barrage
Barrage (dam)
A barrage is a type of dam which consists of a line of large gates that can be opened or closed to control the amount of water passing the dam. The gates are set between flanking piers which are responsible for supporting the water load...
, road bridge, footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
, barge lock, fish pass and white water course
Teesside White Water Course
The Tees Barrage International White Water Course, formerly the Teesside White Water Course, is an artificial whitewater course on the north bank of the River Tees, in North East England....
. The waters above the barrage are permanently held at the level of an average high tide
High Tide
High Tide was a band formed in 1969 by Tony Hill , Simon House , Peter Pavli and Roger Hadden .-History:...
and are used for watersports such as canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, jet ski
Jet ski
Jet Ski is the brand name of a personal watercraft manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The name is sometimes mistakenly used by those unfamiliar with the personal watercraft industry to refer to any type of personal watercraft; however, the name is a valid trademark registered with the...
ing, dragonboat racing and incorporates a 1 km rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
course. The barrage is accessible by road only from Thornaby-on-Tees
Thornaby-on-Tees
Thornaby-on-Tees is a town and civil parish within the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees, three miles southeast of Stockton-on-Tees, and four miles southwest of Middlesbrough town centre and has a...
as there is very limited road access to the north bank of the Tees.
The Tees Barrage and Teesside White Water Course
Teesside White Water Course
The Tees Barrage International White Water Course, formerly the Teesside White Water Course, is an artificial whitewater course on the north bank of the River Tees, in North East England....
are developments of the Teesside Development Corporation
Teesside Development Corporation
The Teesside Development Corporation was a government-backed development corporation that was established in 1987 to fund and manage regeneration projects in the former-county of Cleveland in North East England....
.
Design
The concrete base of the barrage is 70 m wide, 32 m long, and 5 m thick; it is supported by five concrete piers.In between the piers are four 8 m tall, 50 tonne fish belly plates to control the flow of water, operated by 21 tonne hydraulic rams.
The 600 ton road bridge is of a tubular steel arched viaduct design specified at 45 units of HB motorway loading.
The bridge has eight welded tubular steel arches each 17.5 m wide with a 5 m rise but only the four central arches actually cross the waters of the river Tees.
The arches are sprayed with green paint and are sealed against corrosion.
Some 16,500 cubic metres of concrete and 650 tons of steel went into the building of the barrage.
On the downstream side of the central pier is a 29 m tower of lights with reflective globes and plates, supported by guy ropes.
Illumination is provided by four lights on the concrete barrage base for ease of maintenance.
The barrage has two pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
s, one on the south bank, and a little-used one on the north bank, both extending under the road bridge.
The south bank pavilion houses the barrage control room and the offices of the SMi - Stockton Middlesbrough Initiative'.
A visitors' centre is also planned for the barrage.
The barrage has a design life of 120 years. The project also included the regeneration of 100 ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
of adjacent derelict land producing riverside walks, parkland and leisure facilities.
Construction
The Teesside Development CorporationTeesside Development Corporation
The Teesside Development Corporation was a government-backed development corporation that was established in 1987 to fund and manage regeneration projects in the former-county of Cleveland in North East England....
proposed a barrage across the Tees in an act of Parliament and then organised a design competition for the barrage that was won by Ove Arup
Arup
Arup is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom which provides engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. The firm is present in Africa, the Americas, Australasia, East Asia, Europe and the...
and the Napper Partnership.
The barrage was constructed and opened by Tarmac Construction.
Construction work was started on November 4, 1991 and with WJ Groundwater Limited diverting the Tees from its course and dewatering the ground.
It was at the time the largest civil engineering project in the UK.
Operation
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
.
In April 2001 ownership of the Tees Barrage and white water course was passed to British Waterways
British Waterways
British Waterways is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom, serving as the navigation authority in England, Scotland and Wales for the vast majority of the canals as well as a number of rivers and docks...
from its original owners English Partnerships
English Partnerships
English Partnerships was the national regeneration agency for England, performing a similar role on a national level to that fulfilled by Regional Development Agencies on a regional level...
.
British Waterways are also responsible for managing the 11 miles of navigable grade A two star waters of the river Tees from the barrage up to the Low Moor Weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
at Low Worsall
Low Worsall
Low Worsall is a small village and civil parish in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England, near High Worsall and west of Yarm....
beyond Yarm
Yarm
Yarm is a small town and civil parish in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North East England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees and for ceremonial purposes is in North Yorkshire...
.
Operation of the river below the barrage is the responsibility of the Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority.
Large quantities of natural debris such as branches are being washed down and caught by the barrage that otherwise would have been taken out to sea, and there are ongoing studies looking into the feasibility of burning this debris for power generation in waste-to-energy
Waste-to-energy
Waste-to-energy or energy-from-waste is the process of creating energy in the form of electricity or heat from the incineration of waste source. WtE is a form of energy recovery...
power stations.
Barge Lock
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
is a single-rise lock with two pairs of lock gates to allow light river traffic to negotiate the barrage.
The dimensions of the lock are length 24.88 m, beam 6.08 m, height 5.37 m with a draught of 2.48 m.
If necessary, when the lock is in use, a single leaf steel bascule
Bascule bridge
A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic....
lifting bridge over the lock is raised to allow the passage of lock traffic.
There is no charge to use the lock however users must have permits to use the river both above and below the barrage.
Tidal Turbine Test Facility
On 8 June 2007 a new facility was opened for testing prototypePrototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
marine current turbines and other turbine
Turbine
A turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work.The simplest turbines have one moving part, a rotor assembly, which is a shaft or drum with blades attached. Moving fluid acts on the blades, or the blades react to the flow, so that they move and...
devices. This facility is operated and funded by the National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec). It uses the hydraulic head in the barge lock to release water through sluices at a controlled velocity to create a simulation of steady ocean current conditions downstream of the lock.
The first turbine to be tested at this site was Evopod
Evopod
Evopod is a unique tidal energy device being developed by a UK-based company Ocean Flow Energy Ltd for generating electricity from tidal streams and ocean currents...
, a semi submerged floating tidal turbine developed by offshore consultancy Ocean Flow Energy Ltd based in North Shields
North Shields
North Shields is a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in North East England...
.
The test was largely a success and further devices are booked including a Rugged Renewables Savonius rotor that is to be deployed as a building-mounted turbine.
The development of this facility completes NaREC's portfolio of test facilities.
The Blyth centre for excellence boasts facilities for testing the use of renewable energy resources such as solar PV
Solar cell
A solar cell is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect....
, wind, wave and tidal power and has been instrumental in the development of the UK renewables sector.
Whitewater course
As part of the project, an artificial whitewaterArtificial whitewater
An artificial whitewater course is a site for whitewater canoeing, whitewater kayaking, whitewater racing, whitewater rafting, playboating and slalom canoeing with artificially generated rapids.-Flow diversion:...
course was created that has since hosted many significant watersport competitions.
Footbridge
Teesdale Way
The Teesdale Way is a long distance walk between the North Sea coast of North Yorkshire and the Cumbrian Pennines in England. The walk is 100 miles / 161 km in length, it links in with other long distance walks such as the Pennine Way and the E2 European Walk between Harwich and Stranraer.The...
, part of the National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
.
The footbridge consists of two parts, a steel footbridge across the concrete piers and a hydraulically operated single-leaf steel bascule across the lock to allow river craft to pass.
Although the public cannot gain direct access to the barrage itself, the footbridge affords excellent views of the fish belly plates and hydraulics.
Fish Pass
To allow migratory salmonSalmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and sea trout to negotiate the barrage a fish pass with fish counter and viewing area is installed next to the north bank pavilion.
Some angling groups argue that the progress of migratory fish is delayed below the barrier as fish have difficulty finding the very narrow entrance to the fish pass and that excessive numbers of foraging seal
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
s are taking advantage of this delay and are predating these fish and thus damaging the recovery of salmonids on the Tees.
The fish pass still only has provisional approval from the Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
and as an interim measure fish pen stocks are being used on the river and the barrage lock is being operated in such a way as to allow fish to pass.
Starting in April 2008 British waterways has commissioned a three-year electronic fish tagging survey to help understand the interactions and relationships between various wildlife at the barrage focusing on seal numbers and salmonid migration.
See also
- Pedestrian separation structurePedestrian separation structureA pedestrian separation structure is any structure that removes pedestrians from a vehicle roadway. This creates a road junction where vehicles and pedestrians do not interact.This can be considered a type of grade separation structure on the road....
Nearby
- Teesside White Water CourseTeesside White Water CourseThe Tees Barrage International White Water Course, formerly the Teesside White Water Course, is an artificial whitewater course on the north bank of the River Tees, in North East England....
- River TeesRiver TeesThe River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
- Teesdale WayTeesdale WayThe Teesdale Way is a long distance walk between the North Sea coast of North Yorkshire and the Cumbrian Pennines in England. The walk is 100 miles / 161 km in length, it links in with other long distance walks such as the Pennine Way and the E2 European Walk between Harwich and Stranraer.The...
- Portrack Marsh Nature ReservePortrack Marsh Nature ReservePortrack Marsh Nature Reserve is a local nature reserve.The nature reserve is by the northern bank of the river Tees between the Tees Barrage and the Tees Viaduct near Portrack housing estate in Stockton-on-Tees borough, County Durham and is the last remaining wetland on the lower Tees.The site is...
- Maze Park Nature ReserveMaze Park Nature ReserveMaze Park is a urban nature reserve in Middlesbrough, England on the south bank of the Tees on former railway marshalling yards.It was created by the Teesside Development Corporation and is owned and run by the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust....
- Tees ValleyTees ValleyThe Tees Valley is an area in the North East of England. It can be described as "greater Teesside" and consists of the four unitary authorities created by the breakup of the County of Cleveland in 1996: Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, and Stockton-On-Tees along with the borough of...
.
External links
- The Tees Barrage Website
- Tees Barrage on Bridges on the Tyne
- SMi - Stockton Middlesbrough Initiative
- Tees Barrage details on Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council website
- Tees Barrage details at Waterscape.com
NaREC
- NaREC website
- NaREC Large-Scale turbine testing capabilities
- Newcastle Chronicle article on the opening of the test site.