Work is progressing as part of City of Lincoln Council’s Boultham Park Lake Restoration Project, with art panels and their associated interpretation lecterns installed shortly.
The Lake Restoration Project works, which are being funded by the £658,700 given to City of Lincoln Council by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, along with City Council funding, and delivered in partnership with Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, saw contractor Ebsford Environmental begin improvements to the lake in January 2021.
Once complete, the restoration of, and improvements to, the lake form Phase Two of the restoration of Boultham Park, and will include:
- The installation of below water aeration equipment to improve water quality
- Bank restoration works
- Lake edge and woodland under-storey planting
- Footpath improvements
- The provision of fishing pegs
- Access to occasional boating
- Improvements to the surface around the beacon
- The addition of a viewing platform
As part of the project, five unique metal art installations and associated information panels will soon be installed, and will be located at points around the lake, adjacent to the lake path.
These new installations and lecterns tell the unique story of the lake, from the history of the site to the nature and wildlife the lake supports, and how the community can help to care for Boultham Park’s wildlife.
The next step of the project is the installation of below water aeration equipment to improve water quality in the lake.
The aeration will increase and stabilize the amount of dissolved oxygen in the lake which will stop silt building up and slowly, over time, reduce the amount of silt in the lake, altogether improving lake water quality.
Volunteers have also continued to work on the project, following government Covid-19 guidelines, from creating bat and bird boxes for the park, to self-directed litter picking, planting trees and plant clearing ahead of works.
Once the physical restoration work is complete, there will be further opportunities for volunteering and skills building at the site throughout the project.
Cllr Bob Bushell, Portfolio Holder for Remarkable Place at City of Lincoln Council said: “During this current time, we are all realising the importance of open spaces and the lake restoration work will help us to provide an even better site for wildlife, and attraction for both residents and visitors, with more ways for people to get involved in the park.
“I look forward to seeing the end product.”
Caroline Bird, Community Services Manager at City of Lincoln Council added: “Working with communities to restore this much loved open space is something that is important to us, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our amazing volunteers for the work they have done so far in such challenging times.
“Our volunteers help Boultham Park to thrive, and I am proud to see the hard work they have put in over the last few years paying off!”
The Boultham Park Lake Restoration Project is set for completion in early April, for more information about the project and how to be involved with volunteering opportunities and activities, visit boulthampark.co.uk.