Macclesfield & Peak Forest Lock restriction

[Arthur Marshall]

Now, this doesn't bode well for the summer - it's done nothing but rain here for months.  There again, have they even started work on Toddbrook yet? After all it's only been three years...

 

Lock Flight Operating Times, Macclesfield & Peak Forest Canals, 2023

Following the on-going repair works at Toddbrook Reservoir, we are starting the upcoming main boating season with much less water than normal.  Unfortunately, this means that there will be limited supply of water to support navigation in the North West this spring and summer.

To make sure that the limited water that is available lasts for as long as possible, we need to restrict the use of the lock flights from Monday 3 April 2023.

The Trust is providing additional resources to this area to support our water management activities and will have teams of volunteer lock keepers helping to conserve as much water as possible.

From Monday 3 April, the following operating times will apply:

 

Bosley Lock Flight – open Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays

• Open from 8:30am to allow passage through the flight. Last boat entry to the flight will be at 1pm, and all boats must have exited the flight by 4pm.

 

Marple Lock Flight – open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays

• Open from 8:30am to allow passage through the flight. Last boat entry to the flight will be at 12 noon, and all boats must have exited the flight by 4pm.

[David Mack]

CRT's Reservoir Watch for February showed a slight decrease from January in the Peak Forest & Macclesfield holdings, due to temporary lowering of Combs Reservoir for short term engineering works.

On the other hand the Huddersfield Narrow holdings increased by 10.2% as a result of the rain we have had here in the north.

Edited March 16, 2023 by David Mack

[jeanb]

31 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Now, this doesn't bode well for the summer - it's done nothing but rain here for months.  There again, have they even started work on Toddbrook yet? After all it's only been three years...

 

I keep wondering about this. Does anybody know what's happening there? I thought it was being repaired as a matter of urgency.

[Arthur Marshall]

8 minutes ago, jeanb said:

I keep wondering about this. Does anybody know what's happening there? I thought it was being repaired as a matter of urgency.

As I understand it, they've spent a couple of years negotiating with the yacht club about stuff rather than doing any work.

[David Mack]

37 minutes ago, jeanb said:

I keep wondering about this. Does anybody know what's happening there? I thought it was being repaired as a matter of urgency.

After the immediate activity to make the site safe they have had to go through a process of assessment of what went wrong, and what the broad options to prevent a reoccurence are, development of a preferred solution, ground investigation, design of remedial works, obtaining necessary permissions, negotiating with affected landowners/acquiring necessary land etc. And all that takes time. They have now started work on site.

 

"The main construction phase started last autumn and despite difficulties caused by a wet January, the plan is still to reopen the reservoir by late 2024."

 

CRT are posting regular updates at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/north-west/restoring-toddbrook-reservoir

 

[Cheshire cat]

Sutton Resevoir and Bosley Resevoir are both full at the moment.

[Arthur Marshall]

It's the bit about "to make sure the water lasts as long as possible" that indicates they are expecting to close the T&M again this summer, especially as another drought is forecast.

 

[Puffling]

23 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

It's the bit about "to make sure the water lasts as long as possible" that indicates they are expecting to close the T&M again this summer, especially as another drought is forecast.

 

Not to mention the Caldon. The Froghall branch stands to be closed as soon as it's been opened with restrictions.

[billh]

6 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

As I understand it, they've spent a couple of years negotiating with the yacht club about stuff rather than doing any work.

The sailing club at Toddbrook had just got an expensive  new clubhouse , opened by the Princess Royal and mostly paid for by Sports England or some such when the near disaster occurred. The clubhouse was unaffected in the emergency, but C&RT have now decided it is in the way of their new works.Can't really blame the sailing club for wanting a respectable deal! Ditto, the reservoir keeper's house, sold off cheap , the new owners spent a lot of money doing it up , only for it to have to be bought back by C&RT , at market value ,to be demolished  because it's in the way. Perhaps if C&RT  had not re-deployed  elsewhere the reservoir keeper and not evicted him , none of this dangerous farce would have resulted? I am seriously considering  not renewing my boat licence this year (it isn't kept on the canal)  as ,yet again , it's almost impossible to plan any reliable boating time, thanks to C&RT.

[Arthur Marshall]

I think anyone around the T&M is going to have to assume it'll be shut again by August, and that the Macc and Caldon will be.

[Moke]

I’ve just had a very similar notification for pretty much all of the Leeds Liverpool 

[Arthur Marshall]

28 minutes ago, Moke said:

I’ve just had a very similar notification for pretty much all of the Leeds Liverpool 

Not a terribly good time to be whacking the licences up!

[Cheshire cat]

I thought part of the issue last year was that no water was coming down the Caldon? That particular situation wont be happening this year will it? 

[jam]

Update Today, does not bode well for the rest of Summer.

 

As a result of the current and forecasted dry weather and the continuing repair works at Toddbrook Reservoir, we are implementing some further restrictions to support continued navigation across the Macclesfield & Peak Forest canals this summer.

To help manage and ensure a sustained water supply for as long as possible, we need to further restrict the use of the lock flights from Monday 19 June 2023. Our teams of volunteers will be onsite to oversee passage and to help conserve as much water as possible.

From Monday 19 June 2023, the following operating times will apply:

 

Bosley Lock Flight – open Sundays and Thursdays

• Open from 8:30am to allow passage through the flight. Last boat entry to the flight will be at 1pm, and all boats must have exited the flight by 4pm.
•  

Marple Lock Flight – open Tuesdays and Saturdays

• Open from 8:30am to allow passage through the flight. Last boat entry to the flight will be at 12 noon, and all boats must have exited the flight by 4pm.

Edited June 6, 2023 by jam

[Captain Pegg]

Thanks for pointing this out.

 

I'm planning to ascend Bosley next Monday which is still OK on the current rules. Thankfully I'd planned to be going through Marple the following Tuesday after a visit to Bugsworth and Whaley Bridge. That'll still be OK. The problem is then whether I will ever get to Huddersfield and if I do the ever increasing probability I'll be coming back via the tidal Trent.

[Mad Harold]

38 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

Thanks for pointing this out.

 

I'm planning to ascend Bosley next Monday which is still OK on the current rules. Thankfully I'd planned to be going through Marple the following Tuesday after a visit to Bugsworth and Whaley Bridge. That'll still be OK. The problem is then whether I will ever get to Huddersfield and if I do the ever increasing probability I'll be coming back via the tidal Trent.

Just had a look at stoppages on the HNC.

Too many to post here.

Have a look at CRT stoppages.

Personally, I have given up on the HNC. 😢

[Captain Pegg]

5 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

Just had a look at stoppages on the HNC.

Too many to post here.

Have a look at CRT stoppages.

Personally, I have given up on the HNC. 😢

 

Effectively there's two. Leak between 12E and 13E and damaged cill at 24W.  The rest is collateral and restrictions. It's probably the former that's the potentially difficult one. It's a simple equation for me. I will be at Dukinfield Jn on Monday 26th and if the HNC is open I'll turn right and if it's not I'll turn left and go somewhere else.

[Rob-M]

Just seen the update that 24W is now open.

[Hudds Lad]

12E and 13E is shut right down to 1E now to save water, also local scrotes have pushed coping stones off the bridge top near 21E so dewatering required to hoist them out 🤬🤬

[TheBiscuits]

23 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

local scrotes have pushed coping stones off the bridge top near 21E so dewatering required to hoist them out

 

Dewatering part of the Hudd shouldn't really be a tough job - just wait!

[Hudds Lad]

On 08/06/2023 at 14:20, TheBiscuits said:

 

Dewatering part of the Hudd shouldn't really be a tough job - just wait!

True, it’s the rewatering thats the tricky bit  

[Bugsworth Tippler]

Here we go again ... Stuck for another year!

Update on 26/06/2023:

As a result of continuing dry weather, we will need to temporarily close the Peak Forest & Macclesfield Canals for navigation from 10th July until water supplies have recovered. 

 

The Peak Forest & Macclesfield Canals began the main boating season with much less water than normal following the on-going repair works at Toddbrook Reservoir. The water in Bosley and Sutton Reservoirs has been used carefully and the restricted opening times have been successful in prolonging the supply to maintain navigation. 

 

Continued hot, dry weather means that holdings are now getting very low, even taking the recent rainfall into account, and so a navigation closure will be put in place along the Marple and Bosley Lock Flights. The remaining reservoir holdings are required to protect the canal infrastructure and meet the Trust’s legal responsibilities to protect the ecology and biodiversity throughout the summer. 

 

We are currently reinstating a feed from Combs Reservoir, which has been rested this year as a result of the repair works to the feed channel. Trials are due to commence Monday 26 June to convey water along the feeder channel. If these are unsuccessful, we are planning to reinstate pumping to abstract water from Combs into the canal via the River Goyt at Whaley Bridge. If a feed from Combs can be reinstated, then a planned closure will come into effect on Monday 10 July, however if Combs cannot be brought back into use, the closure could take effect sooner. We will of course be confirming details with boaters and local businesses as soon as we possibly can.

 

We anticipate that these canals will remain closed for several weeks, but this is entirely weather dependent. Whilst the closures will prevent use of the lock flights, cruising between the lock flights will remain available.

 

Water holdings will be monitored carefully throughout the summer and if there is continued, significant rainfall then it may be possible to reopen to navigation. During the planned closure the Trust is looking into bringing forward essential maintenance along the Marple Flight, which had originally been scheduled for this winter.

 

To conserve as much water as possible whilst these closures are in place, both lock flights will be padlocked closed and secured against operation and the gates will be ‘”ashed” to reduce leakage.

 

Customers should note that access on and off the peak forest canal is currently further restricted by recent third-party damage to Bridge 24, Wood End Lift Bridge which restricts any movement on or off the Peak Forest canal beyond this point. Updates on this closure can be found here

 

The Trust understands what an impact this has on boaters and boating businesses and apologises for the inconvenience and uncertainty that the closure brings.

 

[Cheshire cat]

Call it intuition if you like but I decided to take a look at Bosley Resevoir today. 

 

I last visited on the 27th March when the water was 10cm below normal, (just at the base of the first depth post). 

 

Today it is 3 metres down. I was quite suprised. It being Monday, C&RT were running water off the resevoir to Bosley top lock to facilitate boat movements. 

 

Second image was taken 26th September last year during the closure. Level was down six metres at that time.

[rgreg]

Not a good position in the North:48221-june-2023-reservoir-watch.pdf

 

Edited June 26, 2023 by rgreg

[Arthur Marshall]

I suspect restricting and the closing the T&M won't be far behind.