Our survey work

One of the most important elements of the River Thames Scheme (RTS) design work is understanding what wildlife lives in and around the River Thames so that habitats can be protected.

These surveys collect information about the environment, including terrestrial and aquatic habitats within the project boundary and surrounding areas. They also allow us to gather other information to inform the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), for example, including surface and groundwater quality and levels, archaeology and noise.

This information is used to understand the current environment along the route of the scheme and assess what impact construction and operation of the scheme will have, enabling the RTS to make environmentally acceptable decisions.

The surveys are varied in nature. Some may be completed within days, while others could last several months. Below is a list of some of our forthcoming survey work.

Terrestrial

Month	Planned survey work
July	Arboriculture (tree) and topographical
July	UKHab re-appraisal (grassland)
July	Traffic
July	Noise
July	Archaeology

Aquatic

Month	Planned survey work
July	Water quality (lake level monitoring)
July	Water quality (monthly spot flow monitoring)
July	Fish pathogens and fish Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS)
July	Level loggers for fish passes
July	River condition assessment