Work is soon to commence to clear trees and scrub from the walls of Kionslieu Dam at East Foxdale. 
 
The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, which has responsibility for the dam, is to clear the vegetation in order to be able to undertake a survey of the walls of the dam to ensure that they remain structurally sound.
 
Chairman of the Forestry, Amenity and Lands Directorate, Brenda Cannell MHK said “Kionslieu Dam was built in the 19th century and is a very interesting relic of Foxdale’s mining past.  It is unusual in having man-made dam walls on both its west and east sides.  It is important, with structures of this age in particular, to ensure that they remain in good repair and, to enable an inspection to be made, it is necessary to remove the willow and other scrub vegetation which has grown up on the walls of the dam.  Following this clearance work, there will be a survey of the walls and any necessary follow-up work will be carried-out”.
 
Vegetation clearance is scheduled to start at the end of September 2012 and will take around a month to complete, following which the walls of the dam will be assessed.