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Canal & River Trust provides update on northern water levels


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CRT Press Release

15th July 2022

 

CANAL & RIVER TRUST PROVIDES UPDATE ON NORTHERN WATER LEVELS

 

As the country faces prolonged hot weather, the Canal & River Trust is taking action to manage the very low water levels in the north of England.

 

Following the temporary closure of locks on the Peak Forest and Macclesfield canals from 24 June, and reduced operating times on several other waterways, the Canal & River Trust is now having to make further difficult decisions to conserve water:

 

  • The Peak Forest and Macclesfield canals will remain closed until water levels have recovered enough for safe navigation.
  • The Leeds & Liverpool Canal will be temporarily closed to navigation between Wigan Lock Flight and Gargrave from Monday 18 July.

 

Unless there is a significant improvement in water levels, the following temporary closures will come into place in August:

 

  • The Huddersfield Narrow Canal will be closed to navigation from Monday 1 August.
  • The Caldon Canal, Hazlehurst Flight, will be closed to navigation from Monday 1 August, with reduced operating hours before that date.

 

Finally, the Rochdale Canal will see reduced operating hours from Monday 18 July to effectively manage the limited third-party water supply. Should the water resource position not improve significantly, the canal may be forced to close at short notice.

 

A combination of a dry spring that has continued into a hot, dry summer, and essential reservoir repairs across the region, have meant the amount of available water was already less than usual, causing water supplies in the north to drop to historically low levels.

 

To enable navigation on the canals for as long as possible, the Trust introduced restricted use of several lock flights at the start of April, and volunteer lock keepers have been helping to manage boat traffic at lock flights to ensure water supplies are used as efficiently as possible. Unfortunately, despite these water saving measures, the lack of rain has meant the reservoirs have not had a chance to refill and there is not enough water to supply the canals.

 

The Trust is continuing the ongoing water saving repair works to increase all available water flows into the canal network. The towpaths remain open and boaters will still be able to cruise the stretches between the closed locks, provided there are no localised issues with maintaining enough water supply for safe navigation.

 

Julie Sharman, chief operating officer at Canal & River Trust, said: “The heatwave is the last thing we wanted. We know how important this wonderful part of the canal network is to boaters and we’re incredibly disappointed that we are having to introduce further restrictions. Unfortunately, the ongoing essential repair works at our reservoirs to safeguard them for the extreme weather that is likely to become more common due to climate change, coupled with far less rainfall than we needed, have meant that there just isn’t enough water for navigation. We will be carefully watching how the reservoirs refill and will open the locks as soon as possible.

 

“We’ve been carrying out a significant amount of water saving maintenance work over the past few years. In the longer term, once all our reservoirs are repaired and able to refill, it will improve the resilience of the canals. This is more important than ever as long dry spells are becoming the new normal.

 

“While this is currently affecting our northern waterways, we’re asking boaters across the country, with the help of volunteer lock keepers, to be even more careful than usual to conserve water. Boaters can help by sharing locks where possible and making sure paddles are fully closed after use.

 

“We appreciate what an impact this has on boaters in the area and we are sorry that this will affect cruising plans this summer. If anyone is experiencing any problems please get in touch.”

 

To find out more about stoppages and water levels affecting navigation, please visit canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices.

 

This video gives more information about the Trust’s reservoir works: canalrivertrust.org.uk/specialist-teams/managing-our-water/reservoir-works-and-water-resources

 

-ends-

 

For further media requests please contact:

Fran Read, Canal & River Trust

m 07796 610 427 e fran.read@canalrivertrust.org.uk

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There was plenty of the wet stuff overflowing the tops of the locks on the Rochdale 9 today. Wasn't easy to open the bottom gates. Made it to  Castlefield and found a shady spot to see out the heatwave.

  • Happy 1
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20 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Inland - certainly an 'iffy' option.

Coastal - no problems, no licence, no BSS and no water shortages.

Very true, but a rather different skill set and massive increase in confidence required. My other half will need persuading to go on Ribble Link!

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1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Inland - certainly an 'iffy' option.

Coastal - no problems, no licence, no BSS and no water shortages.

Can’t exactly tie up to land where you please though for no charge can you? How much is the average visitor mooring per night? How much is your fuel bill? I guess it depends why you enjoy being on the cut….I’d find sea passages dull. 

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I looked at buying a sea-going boat but concluded that its boring. You set off from somewhere, and you're "at sea" until you arrive somewhere else. You can see the coast from a distance; and you could do almost exciting things. But the appeal is limited. Inland waterways.....so much to see alongside the canal, no seasickness, can stop almost anywhere, much safer, much less fuel used, etc etc There's clearly areas and canals which are still open, just a bit less than previously, so its not really necessary to go coastal to avoid water shortages.

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Just returning to base after a couple of weeks cruising to Banbury and back - virtually every lock gate was leaking to some extent, most of them badly. If the gates up north (haven't cruised that way for some years) are as bad as the ones down here, it's a bit obvious its not all down to the weather. But the weather doesn't argue back when blamed for everything.

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I'm not sure lock gates leaking is such an issue. Every canal needs to have a "flow" of some kind from the summit pound to the lower ones, to prevent it becoming stagnant. Normally this is accommodated by the weir(s) at the lock but of course the leaking gate contributes too. And gates are never fully watertight. A leak might look spectacular but in reality, is many times less water flow than the lock use of a boat going through.

 

A bad leak might be an issue, but the devil is in the detail.

  • Greenie 1
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1 hour ago, frangar said:

Can’t exactly tie up to land where you please though for no charge can you?

 

It is called 'anchoring' it is free and there are no time limits.

 

'Most' of your fuel is free and very green (when you get the sail up) Engine only for no wind days or coming into a marina.

 

On the motor cruiser, yes the fuel is more expensive per hour than a NB, but the opportunities are that much more varied, and you do not have to go far. We can take a month to circumnavigate Anglesey calling in and  staying the night in little coves just a mile or two away from the previous stop. Just because I have a fuel tank range of over 2000 miles doesn't mean I have to use it.

 

 

1 hour ago, Paul C said:

I looked at buying a sea-going boat but concluded that its boring. You set off from somewhere, and you're "at sea" until you arrive somewhere else.

 

 

Not if you coastal-hop from one headland to another, pull into all the deserted bays, drop anchor, have some lunch, have a swim, move on and repeat, repeat.

 

We have been on both the canals and the sea for over 40 years and for most of that time have had at least one boat on each so we have the choice.

 

The canals have been enjoyable but have become hard work, and expensive and no guarantee you'll arrive where and when you want to.

 

 

The Sea is much more open, no restrictions and, to be honest, has become more of a joy, and more interesting than the canals now are.

We are all different and there is no 'correct answer' we all have different hopes and desires and they are fulfilled in diferent ways - at the end of the day we are all boaters.

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1 hour ago, Paul C said:

And gates are never fully watertight. A leak might look spectacular but in reality, is many times less water flow than the lock use of a boat going through.

A badly leaking lock gate can drain a short pound overnight. Taking a couple of lockfuls off won't have anything like the same impact.

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5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

It is called 'anchoring' it is free and there are no time limits.

 

'Most' of your fuel is free and very green (when you get the sail up) Engine only for no wind days or coming into a marina.

 

On the motor cruiser, yes the fuel is more expensive per hour than a NB, but the opportunities are that much more varied, and you do not have to go far. We can take a month to circumnavigate Anglesey calling in and  staying the night in little coves just a mile or two away from the previous stop. Just because I have a fuel tank range of over 2000 miles doesn't mean I have to use it.

 

 

 

 

Not if you coastal-hop from one headland to another, pull into all the deserted bays, drop anchor, have some lunch, have a swim, move on and repeat, repeat.

 

We have been on both the canals and the sea for over 40 years and for most of that time have had at least one boat on each so we have the choice.

 

The canals have been enjoyable but have become hard work, and expensive and no guarantee you'll arrive where and when you want to.

 

 

The Sea is much more open, no restrictions and, to be honest, has become more of a joy, and more interesting than the canals now are.

We are all different and there is no 'correct answer' we all have different hopes and desires and they are fulfilled in diferent ways - at the end of the day we are all boaters.

If you anchor though nipping to the pub or shop without using a tender or water taxi is tricky 

  • Greenie 1
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Remember August 2019 when Whalley Bridge was evacuated, three years on and what had happened?

The graphic images of helicopters bringing in material to support the threatened dam structure, gave way to two years of Covid and now there is a drought and how many remember the drought of 1976 with stand pipes in the street?

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