Llangollen Canal breach repair updates

Update 31 March

We are today able to share the initial findings of the investigation into the Llangollen Canal breach that occurred at Whitchurch, Shropshire, last December. The full investigation is still ongoing while the site is being drained and cleared, and a further report will be made available once it has concluded in the coming months.

Prepared by Canal & River Trust engineers, supported by technical experts, the initial report poses an emerging hypothesis for the possible causes of the breach. At this stage the findings suggest the breach was likely caused by a combination of a number of specific physical characteristics in this location, combined with an undetected long-term, deep-seated leak beneath the canal bed, which we believe caused erosion below the canal bed, ultimately resulting in the collapse of the embankment.

While breaches of this scale remain extremely rare, we are already taking forward a number of recommendations from the investigation in order to ensure we take all action possible to enhance the resilience of canal infrastructure. This includes exploring new and innovative technologies to assist in maintenance, inspection and monitoring regimes.

We are committed to repairing the canal and restoring navigation as soon as possible in order to get boats back on the water and to allow all users to enjoy this stretch of the canal again. We will post further updates as the repair progresses, and in the meantime thank everyone again for their patience and support.

Read the initial findings report here.

Update 19 March

On Wednesday 18 March, we completed an important ecological milestone in the recovery from December’s canal breach on the Llangollen Canal at Whitchurch. Around 1,000 fish washed into a neighbouring farmer’s field are being rescued and safely returned to the canal.

The pool of water in the field, which was up to six feet deep in places, has been gradually drained to around knee hight to allow a specialist fish rescue team to begin the operation of catching the fish and safely returning them back into the canal.  The fish include native species such as roach, perch, gudgeon, bream and ruffe.

Using specialist fisheries equipment, the rescue team will temporarily stun the fish by passing a low‑voltage direct electric current through the water.  This is a safe and widely‑used fisheries management technique that temporarily immobilises the fish and allows them to be collected without harm. They will then be carefully lifted into aerated buckets and transported back to the canal.

Update 12 March

The access ramp and turning area have now been completed. This will enable safer and more efficient delivery of materials, removing the need for vehicles to reverse onto the A41. With this in place, construction of the compound area and safe machine access to the canal can now progress.

Over the coming weeks, our team will begin removing the trench sheets that were damaged during the breach. At the same time, ground investigations will be carried out to assess conditions and determine which materials can be reused as part of the repair. Major excavation work within the breach cannot begin until these investigations are complete, although machinery will be on site to undertake trial pits and provide access for borehole rigs.

Approximately 13 million litres of water have already been pumped from the flooded field into the adjacent foul sewer. A fish rescue is scheduled for this week, after which the remaining water will be fully pumped away. Once this is complete, we will be able to clear and inspect the blocked culvert that passes beneath the canal.

Vegetation clearance along both embankments have also been completed. This has included the felling of one mature oak tree and the trimming of a further five oak trees to create the necessary working area for the embankment reconstruction. Over‑pumping continues, with approximately 34 megalitres of canal water pumped past the breach last week.

Update 5 March

Our teams are currently constructing an access road to the site compound. They are working in a farmer’s field alongside the A41, excavating a route from the road so the compound can be positioned close to the canal.

At the same time, we're gradually pumping water out of the makeshift lake that formed when the canal emptied.

Approximately 12 million litres of water flowed into the farmer’s field, where it has since become a temporary refuge for the fish that have been displaced from the canal since December. These fish now need to be safely rescued and relocated back into the canal. In a few days, our fisheries rescue team will begin efforts to catch them.

Using specialist fisheries equipment, the team will temporarily stun the fish by passing a low-voltage direct electrical current through the water. This is a safe, widely used fisheries management technique that briefly immobilises the fish, allowing them to be collected without harm. They will then be carefully transferred into aerated containers and transported back to the canal.