Water levels

[jddevel]

When travelling back from Foxton Locks to Lapworth at the end of April it was suggested by one of CRT staff clearing sluices that they were already considering chaining in some areas. What are the levels like in general at the moment as our cruising seasons starting this weekend this sort of information will be handy to know please.

[johnmck]

Had a walk to Welford reservoir yesterday. The water level is looking a lot better than earlier in the year.

Edited June 28, 2019 by johnmck

[David Mack]

Braunston locks are already on restricted hours.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/15318-braunston-locks-1-to-6

[mrsmelly]

Fine on the Oxford and the Thames.

[Stephen Jeavons]

Cruised back from Harefield to Rickmansworth on the GU on Saturday late afternoon. Struggled to moor up in the Harefield area on three occasions as she was beaching 4 ft from the banking. We gave up and pressed on. Water levels on the Grand Union seem lower than earlier in the month. Locks aren't too good either. Very stiff paddles, especially the Ground ones. Found Springwell Farm lower gates open when we arrived. It took 2 of us (one pulling the other pushing with both feet) to shut one of the gates. This stretch seemingly not well maintained.

Edited July 1, 2019 by Stephen Jeavons

[sirweste]

I'm moored on the pound down and south of Tring Summit and the level is down quite a few inches. I've run water down from the Summit twice to get off the bottom over the weekend. Yesterday evening though it was so far down (and I was sat at an angle of >4deg) I sacked it off and went to stay at the lass' place.

[Nightwatch]

Travelled from Foxton Locks to Kilby bridge. The Kibworth flight of five locks are chained up over night. Came down those today, and some of the locks have water pouring over the top gates. Pounds look full.

 

 

[Drayke]

Water levels seem to have been down on the GU ever since leaving the Hanwell  flight and we are now around Leighton Buzzard.

[Dave123]

On 01/07/2019 at 12:01, sirweste said:

I'm moored on the pound down and south of Tring Summit and the level is down quite a few inches. I've run water down from the Summit twice to get off the bottom over the weekend. Yesterday evening though it was so far down (and I was sat at an angle of >4deg) I sacked it off and went to stay at the lass' place.

I think this might be more to do with leakage from the Dudswell locks than water levels in general or in the reservoirs...

[koukouvagia]

46 minutes ago, Dave123 said:

I think this might be more to do with leakage from the Dudswell locks than water levels in general or in the reservoirs...

Yes, I agree. The Dudswell pound is notorious for low levels.  I thought the problem had been solved, but apparently not.  Now that new gates have been fitted at Cowroast there is now no longer a constant flow of water off the summit onto the Dudswell pound through leaking gates.

 

[MtB]

On 29/06/2019 at 09:06, mrsmelly said:

Fine on the Oxford and the Thames.

Ahem, no it isn't. The Oxford summit is about 8" low and showing no signs of coming up. And the reservoir by Calcutt looks nearly empty. 

 

This is bothering me particularly as my boat has been waiting outside the dry dock for four days now waiting to get blacked. Levels is too low to get it into the dock.

[matty40s]

1 hour ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Ahem, no it isn't. The Oxford summit is about 8" low and showing no signs of coming up. And the reservoir by Calcutt looks nearly empty. 

 

This is bothering me particularly as my boat has been waiting outside the dry dock for four days now waiting to get blacked. Levels is too low to get it into the dock.

Look on the bright side, if it keeps dropping, you wont need to pay the dock fee and can just do it sitting on the bottom.

[jddevel]

Not going to be helped by the error of leaving paddles open before moving on as we found in Lapworth toplocks. Pound between 6 and 7 nearly empty on Saturday morning. Suppose increase in hire traffic doesn`t help and human error.

[mykaskin]

All the levels on the GU quite adequate from Braunston to Berko, but levels around Dudswell Locks could have been better thanks to replacement new lock gates at Cowroast not letting a flow of water down to overcome losses on other locks further down.