Reprofiling the River Lear with Lakeland Dairies

Tusker Construction has completed a significant environmental engineering project with Lakeland Dairies, rerouting the River Lear into a new 470-metre meandering channel, designed to improve biodiversity and give the river space away from the creamery's operations.

The Project (River Lear reprofiling)

The works involved cutting an entirely new channel for the River Lear, moving it away from the Lakeland Dairies creamery site and restoring it in a more natural, meandering form. This kind of reprofiling not only supports the long-term operational needs of the facility but also enhances the surrounding habitat, giving the river room to function more naturally and support local biodiversity.

Construction began on 12th August, with the new channel successfully cut in on 29th September - following several weeks of challenging ground conditions, including bog and shale rock.

Protecting Local Wildlife

Before the cut-in could take place, Inland Fisheries Ireland carried out electrofishing along the existing channel to safely capture and relocate all fish populations. This careful, methodical process ensured that no fish were impacted as the old channel was decommissioned - a critical step in delivering the project responsibly and in line with environmental best practice.

Planning and Compliance

Environmental engineering projects of this scale require significant planning and regulatory oversight. Since planning permission was lodged in March, compliance and environmental considerations have been central to every stage of the project, delivered in partnership with Traynor Environmental.

A Collaborative Achievement

The successful reprofiling of the River Lear is a strong example of the collaboration, planning, and technical delivery that goes into environmental engineering projects of this scale. From navigating difficult ground conditions to coordinating with environmental specialists and regulatory bodies, this project showcases the full breadth of capability Tusker brings to complex construction works.

Tusker Construction Group — Steelworks | Construction | Crane Hire | Plant Hire | Abnormal Haulage

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