This edition starts with a hard-to-visualise statistic. We dredged out more than 82,000 tonnes of silt from the canal network in the last financial year. It cost over £6 million. About £500,000 of that spend was on flood recovery dredging which unfortunately took priority over some of the planned dredging work that our charity wanted to get done.
82,000 tonnes is a lot. That’s the equivalent of 536 Boeing 747s or, to look at it another way, over 144 million pints of silt which, if placed side-by-side, would stretch from Hatton Locks to Honolulu!
Since then, we’ve been working hard across the network focusing on removing as many of the dredging ‘hot spots’ as we can - nine projects over 41km of network and, in the course of resolving 62 boater-notified issues, dredged up over 45,000 tonnes.
In other words, rather than dredging continuous stretches of canal, projects have targeted the worst points on a waterway identified either through boater feedback or via surveying of the canal profile. I hope this means that you come across fewer issues when you’re out on a cruise.
The projects - completed
Oxford Canal (Pigeons Lock area) – also repaired numerous issues with holes in the towpath at the bankside, infilling these with clay using the tug and hopper once dredging was complete.
Limekiln Lock, Leicester Line of GUC – tackling a regular site due to inflow from an urban watercourse, plus other spots in the area.
Leicester Line of GUC, winding holes – series of winding holes dredged back to full capacity. Silt often accumulates more quickly in wide areas than the central channel, so dredging these out not only helps ensure they are usable by all craft but also creates capacity for silt to move out of the channel.
Norbury Junction, Shropshire Union Canal – winding hole and channel at wharf.
LancasterCanal – a couple of high priority issues around reeds and sightlines.
Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigations – spot maintenance for freight traffic, see video below.
Droitwich Canal silt trap and channel alongside – routine visit to try and avoid the stoppages we have had here in the past – includes development work with County Council on slowing the flow in the Body Brook and so reducing siltation reaching the navigation.
Walsall Canal – picked out the three worst areas (where boats were getting stuck) but need to come back to have a go at the debris problem. Lots of difficulties with contamination and fish health issues (and this was outside the area of last August’s toxic chemical pollution).
Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal – series of spot issues, winding holes etc.
GloucesterDocks - ongoing, but some delays caused by flooding.
Ashby Canal - to start before March and run on after Easter – Market Bosworth to Sutton Cheney at first, hopefully expanding beyond that during the summer.
Ribble Link – routine annual dredge.
West India Dock, Thames approach – second routine dredge.
Liverpool docks – routine annual dredge of Canning Half Tide approaches in the Mersey.
Trent locks ploughing – routine annual clearance of lock approaches.
Ploughing the Weaver Navigation to ensure channel for deep vessels by Easter.
Ellesmere Port approaches before the Easter gathering.
Macclesfield Canal bridge holes - in preparation for potential increased use in 2025 due to the Bridgewater Canal breach (as covered in the last edition).
Tackling other issues
Other projects, mainly as a result of storm events, are also on site or due to start soon:
Caldon Canal, Consall area – Silt from out of Crowgutter Woods (great name) and sand from the River Churnett regularly block the canal in the Consall area. However, the Crowgutter Wood problem has now occurred three times in the last 12 months. So, in addition to clearing the problem again, we are working with the adjoining landowner on reducing the erosion on their land which is contributing to the surge in visits that have been required after storms in the last year.
Kennet & Avon Canal – flood deposits and River Avon Locks (twice in last 12 months)
Dane Feeder, Caldon Canal - Two sites to address flooding issues arising this winter – not for navigation but protection for adjoining properties from future flooding and so reducing potential future costs to the Trust.
Flight of fancy
While the weather didn’t play along, last weekend’s Open Day at the Caen Hill Flight was a hit for those who went along to see how we’re carrying vital maintenance to keep the navigation, and flight, open. I visited the flight earlier this week to have a look at the works underway and took my camera along so I could share a little potted history of the canal, and flight, and also make a slightly strange request of boaters.
So, before watching a few snippets of the Open Day, put your feet up for a few minutes and take a look:
For those of you who watched the above video to the end, the answer is 213 calories. Please send your ‘locking’ calories to [email protected].
Don’t worry if you didn’t get the chance to visit the works at Caen Hill – snippets of the Open Day are below – and if you’re free this weekend then why not treat your better half to a romantic trip to Hatton Lock 40 for our final Open Day this winter.
Continuing engagement with Government to secure future of waterways
As part of our work to secure the future of the waterways we care for we are continuing to present our case to government to emphasise the vital role of the canal network in delivering key national priorities.
In our comprehensive submission to the government’s current Spending Review process, we are making the case for a contribution to our funding sufficient to ensure that our canals can continue to provide the significant economic, environmental, and social benefits they deliver into the future.
This follows the publication of our 2024 Impact Report in December illustrating the wide range of positive outcomes we deliver, and the submission of our first Climate Change Adaptation report to Government last month demonstrating how our ageing infrastructure is requiring substantial future investment to keep it open and safe.
The UK’s canals and associated infrastructure – including reservoirs, docks, and embankments – offer strategic opportunities to support issues of national importance, such as water security, flood protection, climate resilience, and economic growth. However, these assets face growing pressure from reduced funding, rising maintenance costs, and the increasing impact of extreme weather events. We believe that a modest increase in government investment, to maintain its real terms funding, would unlock even greater benefits, ensuring the canal network remains resilient for generations to come.
At present we receive around 22% of our funding from government and this is set to decline to around 10% by 2035, a loss of funding of around £300m in real terms over the next ten years.
Richard Parry, chief executive, said: “Our canals and navigable rivers are an extraordinary national asset, supporting the economy, providing water security, supporting nature, protecting against flooding, and offering green and blue spaces that benefit millions of people. However, the pressures on this ageing infrastructure are growing and, without adequate investment, there is a real risk to the benefits they provide. As a charity we must raise funds through many different routes and part of this is by engaging with the government in a thoughtful and measured way, to show how targeted funding could help to future-proof these vital assets and ensure they continue to support communities, the environment, and the economy long into the future.”
Working for boaters – in numbers
With over 2,000 miles of canals and rivers, a list of all the things we’ve been doing over the last fortnight to keep navigations open would be unfeasibly long to collate, but a scan of our stoppage notifications shows that we’ve…
Description
In the last fortnight
Since we started reporting (12 July 2024)
Carried out lock repairs (repairing quoins and brickwork) & gate replacements
11
140
Conducted/facilitated bridge inspections
10
188
Removed wind-blown trees that were impeding navigation
6
179
Repaired bridges
5
66
Fixed (or in the process of fixing) embankments
5
36
Repaired pump out stations
2
37
Fixed lock paddles
2
33
Carried out boater safety activities (such as placing buoys around hazards etc.)
2
71
Repaired culverts
2
14
Fixed customer service facilities (such as toilets)
1
27
Repaired Elsans
1
24
Repaired sluices
1
16
Carried out dive survey/repair
1
25
Carried out piling project
1
8
The above list doesn’t include any work conducted purely on towpaths, water management (which there’s always a lot of!), major reservoir projects and so on – it’s just a flavour of what we’ve been doing to help boaters keep moving on the cut!
Winter works
Maintenance, repair and restoration work this weekend
As you’ll know there are times when we need to fix things that unexpectedly break. Of course, you’ll notice that the list below is much longer now that we’re in the winter stoppage season! So, below, you’ll find a list of navigations that have ongoing restrictions that may affect you if you’re planning to get out on the water this weekend:
When restrictions to navigation happen, we get them up on to our website as soon as we can – always best to have a scan before you set off. You can find out how to get stoppage notification alerts on your smartphone in this article.
If you have any questions about a specific closure, or spot an error in our system, please get in touch.
Recycling changes
Get ready for recycling changes
With the start date for the introduction of the Government’s ‘Simpler Recycling’ legislation a little over six weeks away, on 31 March, we are waiting for delivery of over 500 new bins to our waterside refuse sites.
The four new types of bins will be marked with the type of rubbish you can put in them, and we will add stickers like the ones below, to make it clear at a glance.
When you come across a site with a new set of bins, please check that you put the right waste in the right bin, as it's likely to be different to what you're used to. The mixed recycling should be clean (i.e. tins and pots rinsed), anything that still has food waste on it should go in with the general waste. And remember that black bin bags can only be used for general waste, mixed recycling should be placed in the appropriate bin either loose or in clear plastic bags only. Food waste should be loose or in compostable bags (plant-based, not plastic).
What should you expect?
As most businesses in England are having to introduce these changes at the same time, the scale of this means it is not possible for our waste contractors to deliver all of the bins at the same time to an individual site. Unfortunately, this means that throughout this period of transition you may find that none, some, or all of the new bins are present when you arrive at a recycling and refuse point.
We understand the frustration with not knowing what to expect in advance and ask you to bear with us until all deliveries of the new bins are made – when possible we will provide a progress update. While the last delivery could be after 31 March, when everything is complete all of our sites in England will be the same.
For more information on what can be disposed of in the different bins, please see our website: Rubbish and recycling | Boating services We will continue to add further guidance there.
The Simpler Recycling legislation does not change the current disposal methods for waste from separator toilets, for more information please see our website Separator (composting) toilets | Canal & River Trust
If waste is not correctly separated we will face financial penalties (for each ‘contaminated’ bin the individual collection costs will double and there is the risk of a further fine), so we really need your help to make sure waste goes in the right bin.
By working together we can keep waste costs as low as possible and ensure that money doesn’t have to be found elsewhere to cover this.
If you have any questions or if you already segregate your rubbish on board and have any hints or tips that we can pass on, please get in touch.
There’s a new number one!
Do you remember that day? It was a Monday in late October, 1991 (the 28th to be precise) and, finally, the song we’d been listening to on Top of the Pops (RIP) for the last sixteen weeks had been knocked off its’ perch by U2’s ‘The Fly’. I don’t think I need to name the song, do I?
For those of us passionate about the waterways, today’s another day to remember. The longstanding holder of the ‘Busiest Lock On Our Network’ rosette – or the BLOON title as it’s never been known – has changed for the first time since 2011.
For the past 14 years Hillmorton Locks have seen more lockages – the filling and emptying of a lock chamber (and hence the passage of boats) – than any other. In 2024 however, the hardest working lock was in fact on the Trent & Mersey at Lock 21, Colwich.
For the lowdown on many other lock-related statistics in 2024, please read our Annual Lockage Report.
Commission to review future framework for boat licensing – an update
Last December we established a new, independent, Commission to review the legal framework around boat licensing, to explore whether it is appropriate for the network’s future.
It is currently developing plans for engaging with boaters, boating organisations and other stakeholders, and will provide an update when these are finalised. There will be plenty of time for boaters to share their views. You can find out more about the Commission here.
Last Edited: 14 February 2025
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