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CANAL & RIVER TRUST PROVIDES UPDATE AS DROUGHT DECLARED


Ray T

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CRT Press Release

 

15th August 2022  

 

CANAL & RIVER TRUST PROVIDES UPDATE AS DROUGHT DECLARED

 

As a drought is declared by the National Drought Group across much of the canal network, the Canal & River Trust is encouraging boaters to check their routes before they cruise and to follow water-saving best practice wherever possible.

 

As at 15 August, the charity has introduced water saving measures at various locations, with more than 80% of the network open and fully navigable, and towpaths open throughout. A map of the affected areas can be found here: canalrivertrust.org.uk/specialist-teams/managing-our-water/drought/water-savings-restrictions

 

The Trust is reviewing water levels daily and is introducing water saving restrictions to navigation where necessary, and removing or lessening restrictions as soon as sufficient rainfall allows. Boaters are encouraged to check the Trust’s Stoppage Notices for real-time updates, and to sign up for advice notices which give information on waterways at risk of closure or restrictions via their MyTrust accounts.

 

A combination of a dry spring that has continued into a hot, dry summer, coupled with essential reservoir repairs, have meant water supplies in the north are at historically low levels. While navigation closures currently mostly affect northern waterways, the nationwide drought means that restricted opening times are now being introduced in some parts of the south, on the Grand Union Leicester Line, the north and south Oxford and Coventry canals.

 

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 sparingly as possible. The Trust is continuing 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.

 

Richard Parry, chief executive at Canal & River Trust, said: “The drought declared across many parts of the country, coupled with essential maintenance works, means that we are experiencing shortages of water supplies on a number of canals. The restrictions on other canals, which limit the times lock flights are open, will help to save water meaning that the water available will last longer in the boating season. We will be carefully watching reservoir levels and will open the locks as soon as there’s been enough rain to do so.

 

“We’ve been carrying out a significant amount of water saving maintenance work over the past few years. In the longer term, once the considerable investment in our reservoirs is complete, it will help to improve the resilience of the network. This is more important than ever as extreme weather events are becoming more common.

 

“While navigation closures are currently predominantly affecting our northern waterways, the low rainfall is hitting hardest in the south of the country, and we’re asking all boaters, 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 and boating businesses and we are sorry that this will affect cruising plans this summer.”

 

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

 

The Trust’s drought pages provide information on the current situation: canalrivertrust.org.uk/specialist-teams/managing-our-water/drought

 

-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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31 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Mr Parry,  Leaking paddles do not waste water, your leaking gates do.

 

Explain to me how restriction of lock times saves water when they pass the same number of boats please.

 

 

Presumably a greater concentration of boats will reduce the number of boatless locks being turned.

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1 minute ago, rgreg said:

Presumably a greater concentration of boats will reduce the number of boatless locks being turned.

Unlikely.

 

The boats in the queue at both ends of the flight slavishly follow one another into a turned lock. Its not until  the mid flight point that any lock sense kicks in. If there were sufficient volunteers with communications to marshal the flight then maybe but that never happens.

As an example, Watford and Foxton locks, 5 up then 5 down, turning locks in between all the time. Logical?  I think, Not.

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2 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Mr Parry,  Leaking paddles do not waste water, your leaking gates do.

 

Explain to me how restriction of lock times saves water when they pass the same number of boats please.

 

Have you ever worked a flight of locks?

 

I can answer that on Richard's behalf.  He most certainly has.  For example he accepted an offer to crew on the BCN 24 hour challenge, and took it very seriously.  He helped us, and many other boats, up and down the Crow.

 

I think part of the rationale in having locks open in the morning, but closed by late afternoon, is that they can check that everything has been left in good order, with paddles down and gates closed, thereby reducing the chances of unnecessary water loss overnight.

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2 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Mr Parry,  Leaking paddles do not waste water, your leaking gates do.

 

Explain to me how restriction of lock times saves water when they pass the same number of boats please.

 

Have you ever worked a flight of locks?

Restricted lock openings work by deterring some boats from going through the locks at all. Particularly holiday boats that are in a rush to meet a schedule. Claydon locks are a great example, frequently met boats that have gone down those locks to wind before Clattercote and head straight back up. Just because they felt winding at Fenny Compton was "a bit too soon into their trip to turn around".

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It will also put some boats off visiting the affected waterway entirely and instead go on another route. Eg people hiring or heading out from their marina in the Braunston area are now likely to avoid the South Oxford, either because they worry about getting trapped when the water completely runs out, or worry about being in a queue at the locks or because they want/need to cruise from dawn to dusk and can't face the thought of having to stop at 2pm if they miss the last entry😅.

 

But either way, restricted lock openings work and definitely are one of the things CRT need to do when there is a drought. Obviously they also need to fix leaks and improve back pumping and reservoir capacity etc.

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1 hour ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Unlikely.

 

The boats in the queue at both ends of the flight slavishly follow one another into a turned lock. Its not until  the mid flight point that any lock sense kicks in. If there were sufficient volunteers with communications to marshal the flight then maybe but that never happens.

As an example, Watford and Foxton locks, 5 up then 5 down, turning locks in between all the time. Logical?  I think, Not.

That may be the case in the initial opening period but as the day goes on should improve. It's not uncommon to see a solitary boat working a flight early morning or evening time and inevitably turning locks: I've done it myself.

5 minutes ago, Dave123 said:

It will also put some boats off visiting the affected waterway entirely and instead go on another route.

And this

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22 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Mr Parry,  Leaking paddles do not waste water, your leaking gates do.

 

Explain to me how restriction of lock times saves water when they pass the same number of boats please.

On some of the restricted flights, CRT are ashing the gates or even putting tarpaulins over them during the 'closed' hours to minimise leakage for 3/4 of the day. Needs doing after the last boat, and in the latter case removing before the first.

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13 minutes ago, Francis Herne said:

On some of the restricted flights, CRT are ashing the gates or even putting tarpaulins over them during the 'closed' hours to minimise leakage for 3/4 of the day. Needs doing after the last boat, and in the latter case removing before the first.

The lengths they will go to before they simply fix the leaking gates is astounding.

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23 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

 

I can answer that on Richard's behalf.  He most certainly has.  For example he accepted an offer to crew on the BCN 24 hour challenge, and took it very seriously.  He helped us, and many other boats, up and down the Crow.

 

I think part of the rationale in having locks open in the morning, but closed by late afternoon, is that they can check that everything has been left in good order, with paddles down and gates closed, thereby reducing the chances of unnecessary water loss overnight.

Oh please don’t talk sense it doesn’t suit the narrative of many of the posters on this forum! 

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1 hour ago, Alway Swilby said:

Closing the locks for 16 hours per day allows the pounds above time to recover and for back pumping to transfer good quantities of water without it being sent straight back down again.

 

And reduces the energy bills for the back pumps

 

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On 15/08/2022 at 14:42, Tracy D'arth said:

Mr Parry,  Leaking paddles do not waste water, your leaking gates do.

 

Explain to me how restriction of lock times saves water when they pass the same number of boats please.

 

Have you ever worked a flight of locks?

Greater concentration of boats in the time window, means more opportunity for one up, one down.  Also closing in the afternoon and over night allows back pumping to recover water levels on the summit pound.  The South Oxford is a good example.

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59 minutes ago, frangar said:

Yet you think crt can do no wrong….

Not at all but the constant slagging on here (from the same old posters) make zero difference and generally makes the thread direction totally change from the subject into a tit for tat spat. 

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1 hour ago, Chris John said:

Not at all but the constant slagging on here (from the same old posters) make zero difference and generally makes the thread direction totally change from the subject into a tit for tat spat. 

Are you new to this forum? That’s how it’s been since the beginning…this is not the place for harmony….much like real life. 

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1 hour ago, Chris John said:

Not at all but the constant slagging on here (from the same old posters) make zero difference and generally makes the thread direction totally change from the subject into a tit for tat spat. 

It is possible to discuss without slagging one another off, some however don't seem to have realised/be able to.

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