Birmingham & Fazeley Water Levels

[PaulJ]

Anyone been through Minworth/Curdworth recently ? Appreciate any info.

Notice hasnt been updated since 16th June, I was told its low but still presumably passable as it hasnt been closed or pumps repaired. Yet.

Ive got approx 27" inch draught so nothing too challenging he says optimistically.

 

[RAB]

Came through yesterday/today. Pound between Minworth & Cudworth very very low and very slow going. Were told by several CRT staff that farmer keeps extracting water, despite CRT requests for him to stop due to low water (has a license to extract apparently). We found it impossible to get near bank to moor without blocking the canal. Low water had also affected last few Cudworth locks. Stretch from Minworth to Birmingham was low as well but much more passable, although grounded at a few places. We were very very lucky as I missed the reported stoppage due to a broken lock beam on the Aston flight. We arrived just as they were locking the bottom lock. I have to say the two CRT staff were fantastic and let us through and manhandled the broken lock for us. Then met us again near the top of the flight to set the locks before finally locking the flight. Apologies but no idea of the draft of our boat (It's a share boat built by Eton Moss - Middlewich).

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, RAB said:

Were told by several CRT staff that farmer keeps extracting water, despite CRT requests for him to stop due to low water (has a license to extract apparently).

 

If I had been granted an extraction licence (for which I paid heavily to get) I too would refuse - watering crops is way more important than 'some middle aged men playing about on boats'.

[Kingdom Isambard Brunel]

2 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

If I had been granted an extraction licence (for which I paid heavily to get) I too would refuse - watering crops is way more important than 'some middle aged men playing about on boats'.

Spoken by the man who does not have a boat on any canal.  Really? What are you doing on here then?

[Alan de Enfield]

 

I had 40 years on the canals, and, were I still on the cut, my answer would be the same.

 

You are happy enough to allow farmers, and others, to subsidise your boating - now its pay back time.

Edited July 3 by Alan de Enfield

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Hurrah for you!

tell me where your crops are and I’ll come piss on them 

“40 years man and boy I tell you!”

“Well we did holiday occasionally over the years”

“Fortnight every 6 months”

[Kingdom Isambard Brunel]

14 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I had 40 years on the canals, and, were I still on the cut, my answer would be the same.

 

You are happy enough to allow farmers, and others, to subsidise your boating - now its pay back time.

Only 40 years? You are a beginner, and an out of touch one at that.

The farmers and others subsidise the Heritage for the benefit of the nation.

Boaters keep the system open so that it does not get filled in and abandoned to the detriment of the population as a whole.

[Victor Vectis]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

You are happy enough to allow farmers, and others, to subsidise your boating....

Given the state of the canals at pres they ain't doing a very good  job.

 

In future they will have to try harder!

[PaulJ]

14 hours ago, RAB said:

Came through yesterday/today. Pound between Minworth & Cudworth very very low and very slow going. Were told by several CRT staff that farmer keeps extracting water, despite CRT requests for him to stop due to low water (has a license to extract apparently). We found it impossible to get near bank to moor without blocking the canal. Low water had also affected last few Cudworth locks. Stretch from Minworth to Birmingham was low as well but much more passable, although grounded at a few places. We were very very lucky as I missed the reported stoppage due to a broken lock beam on the Aston flight. We arrived just as they were locking the bottom lock. I have to say the two CRT staff were fantastic and let us through and manhandled the broken lock for us. Then met us again near the top of the flight to set the locks before finally locking the flight. Apologies but no idea of the draft of our boat (It's a share boat built by Eton Moss - Middlewich).

Thanks @RAB Thats very useful, appreciated and confirmed what I was told by another boat (Cheers to @GRLMK38 for the headsup-as a bonus met up with them last night too)

Having taken the decision to reroute on my way to Stratford on Avon, to avoid the Stockton stoppage , I really didnt want to go the long way round to get even more stuck 😀

[Stroudwater1]

16 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

If I had been granted an extraction licence (for which I paid heavily to get) I too would refuse - watering crops is way more important than 'some middle aged men playing about on boats'.

Completely agree Alan. This is surely CRT incompetence? There’s billions of gallons waiting to come down from the Birmingham level and above that huge amounts continually being pumped out of mines on the Wolverhampton level. Are CRT really unable to run it down to a shorter pound below? I understand there maybe things called bywashes that can even do it for them overnight. 

 

This is the farmers livelihood here, and ultimately our sustenance. 

[matty40s]

17 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

You are happy enough to allow farmers, and others, to subsidise your boating - now its pay back time.

They dont subsidise my boating, they pay for a service, be it extraction or drainage.

I also pay for a service, to float my boat on water, which for the last 5 weeks, it hasnt.

[Alan de Enfield]

12 minutes ago, matty40s said:

They dont subsidise my boating, they pay for a service, be it extraction or drainage.

I also pay for a service, to float my boat on water, which for the last 5 weeks, it hasnt.

 

Of course, despite your denials, boater are subsidised - do you (and the other 30,000) really think that your licence fees pays the entire costs of keeping the waterways navigable ?

[IanD]

6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Of course, despite your denials, boater are subsidised - do you (and the other 30,000) really think that your licence fees pays the entire costs of keeping the waterways navigable ?

Of course not, because the government's own figures show that the biggest overall benefit from the waterways is to the much larger number of people who use them for other purposes -- walking, cycling, fishing -- which is how the DEFRA grant is justified.

 

Though strictly speaking they don't have to be *navigable* for those users, meaning working locks and paddles and so on, just kept in water. OTOH it's quite possible that the cost of just this (keeping them navigable, as opposed to in water for the non-boater users) *is* paid for by boaters, including license fees for both private boaters and hire companies, the 9% slice from most marina fees, and direct payments to CART from EOG/farm and online moorings.

Edited July 4 by IanD

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, IanD said:

 meaning working locks and paddles and so on

 

Why ?

 

Simply put weirs in their place.

[IanD]

32 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Why ?

 

Simply put weirs in their place.

 

I can only assume you think this would make the canals "suitable for navigation" because you can use your fabulously effective anchor and winch to go up and down them? 😉 

Edited July 4 by IanD

[Stroudwater1]

1 hour ago, matty40s said:

They dont subsidise my boating, they pay for a service, be it extraction or drainage.

I also pay for a service, to float my boat on water, which for the last 5 weeks, it hasnt.

 Sorry to hear, what a mess. Isn’t that related to the culprits draining the pounds down to Northampton? Something needs doing about that surely-  It’s criminal damage plus possible environmental damage too? 
 

This is completely different situation. There really is huge almost unlimited water two or three lock flights up to Birmingham and Wolverhampton plus even more if Perry Barr locks are draining down whilst being repaired . There really is near zero excuse to have a continued low pound at Minworth or Curdworth, it’s mismanagement. 

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Completely agree Alan. This is surely CRT incompetence? There’s billions of gallons waiting to come down from the Birmingham level and above that huge amounts continually being pumped out of mines on the Wolverhampton level. Are CRT really unable to run it down to a shorter pound below? I understand there maybe things called bywashes that can even do it for them overnight. 

 

This is the farmers livelihood here, and ultimately our sustenance. 

How is the Birmingham level and it reservoirs ? 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Wolverhampton flight is restricted from the 9th,

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/0197c6a3-b885-7483-8fd5-a9f4d1ff6c43

 

[David Mack]

4 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

There’s billions of gallons waiting to come down from the Birmingham level and above that huge amounts continually being pumped out of mines on the Wolverhampton level.

So much spare water on the Wolverhampton Level that CRT are introducing restrictions on the Wolverhampton 21...

 

(Beaten by b^5 - should have read to the end of the thread before posting)

Edited July 4 by David Mack

[PaulJ]

For anyone thinking of trying it, it wasnt that terrible. Mostly.

Pound between Curdworth lock no 2 and No 1 was particulary low. Much scraping, tilting over and I did get well stuck in the Bridge hole until I let down a couple of lockfuls from No 1. Could have made it easier but I didnt want to drop the pound above No 1.

It was all a bit pointless really as I just got to Minworth as CRT announced the Camp Hill Closure, followed ten minutes later by closure of that whole section of GU due to lack of water.

Still trying to work out if the pound between Camp Hill /Bordesley Junction and Ashted is passable or not as this is now the only possible route through left other than going back!

 

[Stroudwater1]

According to the CRT map the GU is shut to Warwick Bar / Digbeth junction. This is strange as Bordesley junction to Garrison on the same level is open. Presumably it’s all open from Garrison to Ashsted and up.
 

A curiosity is Ryders Green locks are on a 10-3 opening yet not Farmers Bridge. Having to moor overnight at the bottom of Ryders Green isn’t ideal. 

[pearley]

10 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

According to the CRT map the GU is shut to Warwick Bar / Digbeth junction. This is strange as Bordesley junction to Garrison on the same level is open. Presumably it’s all open from Garrison to Ashsted and up.
 

A curiosity is Ryders Green locks are on a 10-3 opening yet not Farmers Bridge. Having to moor overnight at the bottom of Ryders Green isn’t ideal. 

Moor at Ocker Hill just inside the arm.

[cuthound]

On 03/07/2025 at 17:36, RAB said:

Came through yesterday/today. Pound between Minworth & Cudworth very very low and very slow going. Were told by several CRT staff that farmer keeps extracting water, despite CRT requests for him to stop due to low water (has a license to extract apparently)

 

Can't CRT revoke his licence and Section 8 him?