Ashby Canal

[Ray T]

From Ashby Canal Facebook:

 

NOTICE ALERT

Ashby Canal
Location: Ashby Canal
Starts At: Bridge 15A, Marston Junction Bridge
Ends At: Bridge 61, Turnover Bridge

Monday 4 July 2022 until further notice

Type: Advice
Reason: Water resources

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

We are currently experiencing low water levels on the Ashby Canal. This is affecting the whole navigation.

Colleagues are dealing with the situation and currently exploring solutions.

We will update the website when we know more.

Boaters are asked to be mindful and proceed with care.

 

Ashby Canal Association Friends | Facebook

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by Ray T

[Tonka]

I am surprised the Coventry Canal has not been affected by the stoppage as that was awfully low on water 2 days ago.

[cisamcgu]

Hi,

 

We have just started on the Ashby, moored at Hinckley - does this mean that CRT might possibly close the canal ? To be honest, it was rather hard going, and the water levels look very low 

 

Thanks

Andrew

[M_JG]

10 minutes ago, cisamcgu said:

Hi,

 

We have just started on the Ashby, moored at Hinckley - does this mean that CRT might possibly close the canal ? To be honest, it was rather hard going, and the water levels look very low 

 

Thanks

Andrew

 

Not sure how they'd close it.

 

Up North they padlock locks.

 

Cant do that on the Ashby.

[Arthur Marshall]

I presume there are stop planks. I suppose they could drop them in at the bridge by the junction.

[rgreg]

1 hour ago, Tonka said:

I am surprised the Coventry Canal has not been affected by the stoppage as that was awfully low on water 2 days ago.

Notice Alert

Coventry Canal
Location: Atherstone Lock 1 to Coventry Basin, Coventry Canal
Starts At: Atherstone Lock 1 Footbridge
Ends At: Coventry Basin

Monday 4 July 2022 07:00 until further notice

Type: Advice
Reason: Water resources

---

 

Original message:

We are currently experiencing problems with low water levels on the Coventry Canal.

 

Our water management team are doing all they can to manage this situation.

 

Boaters are asked to be mindful and proceed with care.  

 

 

You can view this notice and its map online here:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/22670/atherstone-lock-1-to-coventry-basin-coventry-canal

You can find all notices at the url below:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices

[archie57]

I understand that Oldbury reservoir was a source of water for the Coventry canal - but it doesn't seem to exist anymore..........

[starman]

10 hours ago, cisamcgu said:

Hi,

 

We have just started on the Ashby, moored at Hinckley - does this mean that CRT might possibly close the canal ? To be honest, it was rather hard going, and the water levels look very low 

 

Thanks

Andrew

We met up with a couple on a boat drawing 36” who’d made it to the end of the canal but admitted it was hard work in places but okay for the final 3-4 miles. We draw 30” and it was reasonably ok to Stoke Golding and horrible through the Babbington bends. 

We turned around and headed for an easier life. Now on the Coventry…where it’s almost as bad in spots!

[Athy]

This is surprising, as I gather that the Midlands have had a lot of rain recently - judging by the amount of time which has been lost due to wet weather at the current Test Match at Edgbaston. But I suppose it takes a few days for the rain water to soak into the adjoining fields and find its way into the canal.

[Idle Days]

We were on the Coventry last week and experienced low water levels. I was told that water for this and the Ashby is from drainage from their surrounding land, so it's unsurprising. Perhaps a back-pumping scheme is required.

[Stroudwater1]

Very low yesterday around 7 inches down on this level, met someone with a deep draft who struggled at the former bridge 25 on the Coventry. 
There was some water flowing in a few miles from Hawkesbury on the non towpath side  Atherstone way but it’s a very long pound as we know. 

[Tonka]

Apparently according to a Coventry paper the Griff stream has run dry. So crt are going to open a valve at Hawksbury to allow water from the Oxford canal to top up the Coventry.

 

Probably not helped by the building works going on around the Griff stream.  Also there is now a new marina on the Coventry Canal plus 2 ABC hire bases

[Goliath]

1 hour ago, Tonka said:

Also there is now a new marina on the Coventry

Wouldn’t new marinas be a good thing?

More marinas the better? 
A bit more water storage?

[Captain Pegg]

There's a threads on FB about this were someone posited that it was the fault of CRT (and there forebears) in removing the stop lock at Marston Junction and that it's reinstatement was a simple solution. Naturally they got lots of likes.

 

But I have doubts that it would be case. Didn't it have two sets of gates at each end because the canals are constructed to the same level and it's primary purpose was in the collection of tolls and presumably to allow each company to protect itself from a breach on the other. Hence upon nationalisation it served no real purpose and was removed. Unless the Ashby has a greater natural water supply than the Coventry (which seems unlikely given what we know) then it would probably be disadvantageous to the Ashby in favour of the Coventry as it would enable the Ashby to be easily sacrificed.

[Tonka]

42 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Wouldn’t new marinas be a good thing?

More marinas the better? 
A bit more water storage?

when was the new marina filled with water, it could have caused the water shortage then.

when full they do help with water storage

[Ray T]

1 hour ago, Captain Pegg said:

There's a threads on FB about this were someone posited that it was the fault of CRT (and there forebears) in removing the stop lock at Marston Junction and that it's reinstatement was a simple solution. Naturally they got lots of likes.

But I have doubts that it would be case. Didn't it have two sets of gates at each end because the canals are constructed to the same level and it's primary purpose was in the collection of tolls and presumably to allow each company to protect itself from a breach on the other. Hence upon nationalisation it served no real purpose and was removed. Unless the Ashby has a greater natural water supply than the Coventry (which seems unlikely given what we know) then it would probably be disadvantageous to the Ashby in favour of the Coventry as it would enable the Ashby to be easily sacrificed.

From CRT Archive.

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, Tonka said:

when was the new marina filled with water, it could have caused the water shortage then.

when full they do help with water storage

Well over 20 years ago

[Jen-in-Wellies]

They should do as they do when the Leeds and Liverpool is short of water (every summer, every year now) and ask Ashby Canal boaters to share locks wherever possible. 😀

[ditchcrawler]

44 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

They should do as they do when the Leeds and Liverpool is short of water (every summer, every year now) and ask Ashby Canal boaters to share locks wherever possible. 😀

 

[Tonka]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

Well over 20 years ago

What Mancetter marina was filled with water over 20 years ago

[ditchcrawler]

4 minutes ago, Tonka said:

What Mancetter marina was filled with water over 20 years ago

Yes, For many years not connected to the canal, at one time there was a boat in there. I always thought it would make a good marina and I was right.

[Captain Pegg]

The new Mancetter marina was full while there was surplus water. What this thread - and the one about the the reservoir levels - has established is that the Coventry and Ashby are fed by groundwater and run off. That’s why they are struggling in hot weather after a prolonged dry period.

 

I think nature is at fault rather than CRT.

[jeanb]

10 hours ago, Tonka said:

Probably not helped by the building works going on around the Griff stream. 

We think this is the cause of the Griff Brook, where CRT pump water from, running dry. The building works site is huge.

[Tonka]

4 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

The new Mancetter marina was full while there was surplus water. What this thread - and the one about the the reservoir levels - has established is that the Coventry and Ashby are fed by groundwater and run off. That’s why they are struggling in hot weather after a prolonged dry period.

 

I think nature is at fault rather than CRT.

Surely years ago the streams were kept topped up by Water being pumped out of the coal mines.

[Captain Pegg]

8 hours ago, Tonka said:

Surely years ago the streams were kept topped up by Water being pumped out of the coal mines.

The canal itself was once fed directly with water pumped from mine workings but that was now a very long time ago.

 

They are not canals that regularly suffer water shortages so must have generally adequate water supplies.