Part of a road that runs along Chadwick Lakes will be rebuilt and made accessible to the public by July, a year and eight months after it collapsed following a particularly wet week.
Last October, the Energy and Water Agency (EWA), one of the authorities responsible for the regeneration of Chadwick Lakes (also known as Wied il-Qlejgħa), said repairs on the collapsed road were set to begin.
Yet months later, it is still closed off to the public.
“We want to start draining the dam by June. By that time the water levels will decrease and there will be less risk of causing ecological damage to the restored ecosystems,” Energy and Water Agency CEO Manuel Sapiano told Times of Malta.
In 2019, EWA handled a €5 million regeneration and rehabilitation project in the valley. In 2021, Nature Trust Malta reached an agreement with the Agency and the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) to manage Chadwick Lakes.
Sapiano said the work needed on the 20-metre stretch of road – which is part of a 1.5km trail – had caused a “headache”.
“This delay in works overshadowed all the work Nature Trust has carried out in restoring the valley back to life,” he said.
The delay in repair works was mainly caused by high levels of water and the need to allow the valley vegetation to recover, he added.
He said draining the water too early would have had a negative impact on the flora and fauna.
The road is not strong; it was built in clay and originally was meant for carts- Energy and Water Agency CEO Manuel Sapiano
“Over the past two years, we have been working on removing invasive species in the valley and planting local flora species, which we can now see flourishing.”
In the coming weeks, as the weather gets drier and the water levels go down, the agency will begin to drain the dam through siphon pipes in an effort to limit the impact on the ecosystem.
“It sounds strange to say, but hopefully there will be no more rain in the coming weeks so that we can start the necessary works as planned,” Sapiano said.
A 20-metre strecth of road collapsed following heavy rains one year and eight months ago.Stone buttresses to reinforce embankment
Following the repairs to the road, by “late July” the road will be open and safe for the public.
Apart from restoring the road, EWA will also be adding stone buttresses over the length of the embankment to reinforce the side of the dam.
Sapiano said EWA is currently in discussions with Infrastructure Malta on whether vehicles, especially heavy ones, will be allowed passage through the road.
“The road is not strong; it was built on clay and originally was meant for carts,” he said.
The cost of repairs of the collapsed area is estimated in the region of €100,000. The additional reinforcement works over the length of the embankment are estimated to be costing another €200,000.
Sapiano explained that during the regeneration project, nearly all of the Caster Oil trees (an invasive species) were removed, along with a large amount of reed from the valley bed.
Over 5,000 Caster Oil trees were removed and 960kg of reeds. The trees were substituted with local valley vegetation.
‘Respect the valley’
Benjamin Camilleri, the Chadwick Lakes site manager, called for the public to be more respectful towards nature in the valley.
“People need to understand that trampling along the valley bed, apart from being illegal, can cause significant damage,” he said.
Trampling can damage the flora and fauna and cause soil erosion. Walking along the valley bed can also lead to deterioration in the water quality.
Camilleri also called on the public to stop dumping unwanted animals, such as ducks and freshwater terrapins, which are invasive species.
This is harmful to both the ecosystem and the animals themselves.
“People think they are doing a good thing but these terrapins will be feeding on local frogs and affecting the ecosystem. Apart from this, once the water evaporates, the terrapin also suffers.”
He said last year Nature Trust removed four terrapins and 11 ducks.
Chadwick Lakes is also home to problematic alien species such as the red swamp crayfish, which puts pressure on native frog populations.
Last year alone, Nature Trust removed around 4,000 crayfish.
“I continuously monitor and control the invasive species, and restore the local species, so that in time these local flora and fauna will replace these invasive species.”