Water shortages force lockdown on parts of canal
SECTIONS of canals in Macclesfield have been shut due to water shortages - and the lockdown could last into September.
The Canal and River Trust has secured a number of locks, preventing use by boaters, to manage the ‘exceptionally dry weather’.
It means sections of the Macclesfield and Peak Forest Canals will be closed to boaters.
June was the third driest month since records began in 1910 and the warm weather continued into July.
The mostly arid conditions have put pressure on reservoir reserves and other water sources that feed the canal network.
It has led to the closure of five per cent of the trust’s 2,000 miles of waterways.
Restrictions are in place on the Macclesfield Canal on the Bosley flight between locks 1 to 12.
Boats will only be able to use them between 8am and 2pm. The closure of the canal at Bosley and of the Bugsworth Basin on the Peak Forest Canal came into effect on Monday, August 13.
Boating on the Lower Peak Forest (below Mar- ple) and Lower Macclesfield Canals (below Bosley) will remain unrestricted.
A spokeswoman said it was yet to be confirmed how long closures will last - but it’s likely to be until September and possibly beyond. She said anglers and canoeists are still welcome and the towpaths will remain open.
Jon Horsfall, from the Canal and River Trust, said: “There’s just no getting away from the fact that we haven’t had enough rain and that’s affecting our ability to supply certain sections of canal in the North with the water they need.”
He said restrictions had been in place to conserve water - but every time a boat goes through a lock it uses around 300,000 litres.
He said: “We’re continuing to work with boaters and boating businesses to try and minimise the impact on them as much as we possibly can, including giving them information to help plan their cruising. We’d like to thank them for their help and understanding in these exceptional circumstances and can assure them that we will re-open canals for boats to use as soon as the water supply is back to a sufficient level.”