Canal closures could impact on summer cruising plans

THE unprecedented high temperatures and prolonged dry spell has resulted in the Canal & River Trust taking action to manage the very low water levels, particularly in the north of England.

These have included the closure of the Peak Forest and Macclesfield canals until these have recovered enough for safe navigation, plus the temporary closure of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal between the Wigan Lock Flight and Gargrave.

Reduced operating hours have also been introduced on the Rochdale Canal to manage the limited thirdparty water supply and should there be no improvement in the position, the trust may be forced to close the canal at short notice.

Unless there is a significant improvement, temporary closures will come into place from August 1 of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the Caldon Canal, Hazelhurst Flight. The trust is also keeping an eye on riverfed stretches of navigation which are subject to river flow.

A spokesman told Towpath Talk: “The rest of the network is largely holding up well. A huge thank-you goes to the teams out managing resources – including, of course, our amazing volunteer lock keepers.

“A combination of a dry spring that has continued into a hot, dry summer and essential reservoir repairs across the region, meant the amount of available water was already less than usual.

“Restricted use was introduced at several lock flights in April and volunteer lock keepers have been helping to manage boat traffic at lock flights to ensure water supplies are used as efficiently as possible.”

CRT chief operating officer Julie Sharman said the heatwave was the last thing they wanted. “Unfortunately, the ongoing essential repair works at our reservoirs to safeguard them for the extreme weather that is likely to become more common due to climate change, coupled with far less rainfall than we needed, have meant that there just isn’t enough water for navigation.

“We appreciate what an impact this has on boaters in the area and we are sorry that this will affect cruising plans this summer. If anyone is experiencing any problems please get in touch.”

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