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Leeds & Liverpool Canal

Dalesman

By Dalesman
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Dalesman Rising Star

Dalesman

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Early Notice – preventative action on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal

 

This year March, April and June have received significantly lower than average amounts of rainfall. As a result, the reservoirs have been drawn down and have not experienced normal rates of refill. Consequently, three of the five reservoirs supplying the summit of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal have holdings below their long term average for the time of year. Analysis indicates there is between a 25% and 50% risk that the reservoirs supplying the Leeds & Liverpool Canal will not have sufficient water to supply the canal throughout the main boating season.

 

As a boating business operating on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, please find below details of the actions the Canal & River Trust is planning to take to minimise disruption to navigation on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal during the anticipated dry spell.

 

 

  • The primary objective is to avoid closure for as long as possible and at least until after the beginning of September.
  • We are acting now with these early restrictions in order to achieve this objective and because analysis of the reservoir holdings show that without action there is a moderate risk that closure would occur before September
  • We are initially trying to ensure the Canal is ‘put safely to bed each night’ and thus the wastage of water through any mis-use of the infrastructure (paddles left open etc…) will hopefully be reduced.
  • This will start off with a fairly soft approach via intensification of our existing nightly inspections by the Operations team.
  • Locking up/ overnight closures, from 8pm (I.e. Last boat into the flight at 7pm) until 10am, of critical sites will start from mid-July, starting with the Summit section (Barrowford Lock 51 to Holme Bridge lock 30), whilst maintaining soft approach elsewhere.
  • N.B. 10am is our intended opening. However, if the Operational staff can fill / top up before 10am then we will open before 10am, but similarly if it takes until 10:10 or even 10:30 as a result of the extent of the dewatering/ flight draining then that’s when the canal/ flight will reopen.
  • We cannot currently rule out the possibility of overnight closures happening across a wider area than the summit section (this may be necessary from around mid-August if existing weather patterns continue as current), and we are keeping this under review.
  • In addition to the works around ‘put the canal safely to bed‘ we are continuing our works on high priority defect repairs, especially in the areas of leakage reduction and lock paddle/ gate repairs.

 

 

We are aware that the necessity for these requirements is not welcome news but we trust you can see that we are taking appropriate and timely preventative action to minimise disruption.

 

Please can you all help by ensuring that your staff and your customers are fully briefed of the situation and that your own operation as well as your handover process for holiday boat hirers emphasises the importance of not wasting water and ensuring that lock paddles are closed.

 

We will keep you updated on further developments and will provide links to water resource information as the position progresses. A briefing meeting can also be arranged.

 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information.

 

Best regards

 

Richard

 

 

Richard Delves

Business Boating Manager (North)

 

Canal & River Trust

Fearns Wharf

Neptune Street

Leeds

LS9 8PB

 

 

 

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Titus Collaborator

Titus

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Should i be concerned ? Ironic - UK suffers from another drought ? What does one do when your holiday is jeopodised due to NO RAIN ?

 

A few years ago we had the same problem but worse, the locks were all closed around this area and the hire boats were moved to areas not affected by the drought so don't worry too much.

Having said that we were out on the top pound a few weeks ago and it was full to the brim but now the area around our mooring is definitely lower than it as been for a while, a couple of weeks of sun and looks what happens.

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Guest

Guest

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Should i be concerned ? Ironic - UK suffers from another drought ? What does one do when your holiday is jeopodised due to NO RAIN ?

The last time the L&L was closed due to drought Richard moved his boats to Selby IIRC. The Selby Canal is beautiful if not quite as stunning as the L&L.

 

If the same happens this year and he does the same I wouldn't worry too much as you could get to the Aire & Calder too withe dead easy to operate hydraulic locks. Its not as pretty as the L and L down there but you will have a good time. You would also be very near York for your trip to the Railway Museum.... every cloud etc etc

 

My understanding is that the trust are manging levels better since the last closure so a closure is less likely. (allegedly)

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jonathanA Experienced

jonathanA

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thought I'd go and look at the reservoir levels as reported here:

 

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/water/reservoir-watch

 

but when I tried to download/open the files I coudn't - could be my Pc so wondering if anyone else can see the contents of the downloadable zip files ?

 

ETA -if you download them and save them as word files you can open them - seems that they aren't really zip files (despite having a .zip file name)

 

seems we are quite a long way off the 2010 levels, but I do think CRT are right to get users to start thinking about water saving before it become a real problem....

Edited by jonathanA
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magpie patrick Veteran II

magpie patrickDonate to Canal World

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We have had a bad and wet spring and the summer has only just started. Where has all the water gone?

Certainly in Marple winter and spring rainfall was well below average, and reservoirs for the Peak Forest were well down

 

Also, the Leeds and Liverpool has historically suffered from water shortage, even in it's commercial heyday.

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Pluto Veteran

PlutoDonate to Canal World

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Certainly in Marple winter and spring rainfall was well below average, and reservoirs for the Peak Forest were well down

 

Also, the Leeds and Liverpool has historically suffered from water shortage, even in it's commercial heyday.

The L&LC was closed during dry spells fairly regularly, but the traffic today is nothing like it used to be. Over the summit, boat numbers are similar when compared to commercial days, but the lower sections, particularly in Lancashire, were used by at least ten times that number of boats, and the water had to come from somewhere. There is a major loss of water somewhere today compared to when the canal operated commercially. I have years of statistics for water supply and usage on the canal, from circa 1875-1920, which confirm the figures.

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Alanji Proficient

Alanji

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Didn't help having the Johnsons Hill paddles open all night.

IMG_0572_zpsc0d4bfc1.jpg

 

Rick, who was on the boat I was going up with went ahead to let some water down. We thought CART may have opened the paddles to let water down to the Wigan flight but a CaRt employee said this was not the case. The employee said "it was not his problem" and, when Rick suggested he should tell the Trust "Its not my job".

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Darren72 Rising Star

Darren72

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Didn't help having the Johnsons Hill paddles open all night.

IMG_0572_zpsc0d4bfc1.jpg

 

Rick, who was on the boat I was going up with went ahead to let some water down. We thought CART may have opened the paddles to let water down to the Wigan flight but a CaRt employee said this was not the case. The employee said "it was not his problem" and, when Rick suggested he should tell the Trust "Its not my job".

 

Alanji

 

When and where is that photo taken?

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Doorman Veteran

Doorman

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Nothing new there then!

 

When we were moored at Scarisbrick Marina on the L&L in 2010 the water levels were quite low yet still the local farmers would abuse their abstraction licenses and draw water 24 hours a day, seven days a week from the canal.

 

Also, the top lock at the Rufford Branch had one of its paddles packed up half way to maintain a flow (torrent) of water through to the branch, even though the bye-washes were struggling to cope!

 

It didn't add up then and still doesn't today

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pomkitanner Community Regular

pomkitanner

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The last time the L&L was closed due to drought Richard moved his boats to Selby IIRC. The Selby Canal is beautiful if not quite as stunning as the L&L.

 

If the same happens this year and he does the same I wouldn't worry too much as you could get to the Aire & Calder too withe dead easy to operate hydraulic locks. Its not as pretty as the L and L down there but you will have a good time. You would also be very near York for your trip to the Railway Museum.... every cloud etc etc

 

My understanding is that the trust are manging levels better since the last closure so a closure is less likely. (allegedly)

Thanks for your words of optimism Martin, i hope you prove correct, i would be very dissapointed to find my self anywhere other than the Skipton locality, having spent nearly 2 years planning. The Dales have a special attraction for me, East Yorkshire , much less so. Fingers crossed .

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andyb116 Collaborator

andyb116Donate to Canal World

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When we came through 3 weeks ago, the main problem was the bottom lock, both gates leaked so much the pound was almost empty when we got there (lock in our favour). Had to flush water down from the next 3 pounds just to keep enough water in the lock & pound to get through. Once in the next lock you could see the pound going down with the gates & paddles closed. Also surprised by the amount of faulty & broken paddle gear. Still enjoyed it though.

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