River bank repair on the River Avon, at Mead Lane Saltford. The natural bank is being strengthened with boulders and logs as seen on the left, then covered with a jute or hessian material which allows plant growth through the material. A minor road, Mead Lane, is on the river bank, and requires protection from erosion. Work carried out for British Waterways.

This method of repair is described as a bio-engineering solution to "combine the advantage of engineering structures with the engineering and environmental benefits of vegetation". A long description of the technique is:

"Rock armour deposited at the toe of the bank providing protection against erosion up to the mean water level. Area behind the rocks to be filled with granular material at a shallow gradient, with a geotextile separation membrane behind the rock face to prevent fines being washed through. Reconstructed riverbank to be seeded and covered with a degradable geotextile matting, pinned into place at regular intervals. Fibre roll, planted with well established vegetation to be fixed on top of rock armour at the mean water level".