‘Living water park’ helping clean water in Bristol’s harbourside is proposed

A large floating ecosystem with 32 new moorings will be created as part of plans for a ‘living water park’ in a section of Bristol Floating Harbour, Mayor Marvin Rees announced this weekend.

Writing in his blog, Mr Rees said the city council’s plan for a new pontoon at Capricorn Quay, opposite the SS Great Britain, was a ‘step in the right direction’. It would also provide extra income, he said.

The idea for the pontoon, first raised two years ago, will provide a large area of floating habitat covering 1,000 square metres which would improve the water quality, strengthen fish stocks and provide a home for birds.

With submerged roots using algae, carbon and excess nutrients as a food source, it would purify the water, Mr Rees said.

The pontoon would be connected to the existing bridgehead formerly used by ferries via a gated footway. The council is now writing to lcoal residents ahead of the submission of plans.

Mr Rees said: “The project will provide a large area of floating habitat that will be both visually attractive and functional. It will transform this section of the harbour into a ‘living water park’, the subsurface forest of roots will provide shelter for fish and ideal feeding grounds, improving fish stocks.”

The scheme would see local schools and citizen science projects involved. It would be one of six eco-spaces already created in the harbour, including Harbourside Reedbed at Hannover Quay, Millennium Promenade Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) and Bathurst Basin Reedbed.