Experts discuss current water situation and details of agreement with water company to benefit boaters.
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Water resources update and its impact on boating
Although there have been a few outbreaks of rain here and there, we’re still waiting on the sustained period of rain that our network needs to start refilling. In the video below, experts from across the Trust discuss the current situation, what this means for both boaters and our teams on the ground and what’s needed before we can all breathe a sigh of relief.
As Alex mentions in the video, the best way to get the latest information is to sign up for stoppage notifications. Alex also mentioned our drought FAQ page, which includes detailed advice for boaters, and the 2 September National Boaters Forum which you can sign up for here.
Water agreement delivers long term benefits for boaters
With the driest spring on record and drought being declared in a number of regions, including parts of the Midlands, we have reached an agreement with Severn Trent that will provide a greater level of confidence to bolster future water resilience to parts of the canal network and water supply in North Staffordshire.
We are making an agreed amount of water available to Severn Trent from our Caldon Canal reservoirs. Although boating restrictions are in place on the Caldon Canal because of low water levels, the reservoir water in question currently cannot physically be fed into the canal this summer.
Working with us to channel otherwise unavailable water from Knypersley Reservoir into the Caldon Canal, Severn Trent will then benefit from an equivalent volume of water from Rudyard Lake. This solution increases the supply that the water company can make available from its Tittesworth Reservoir for homes and businesses in North Staffordshire.
The partnership will bring a significant and welcome investment into the canal network as Severn Trent will fund improvements to the canal feeders from both Knypersley and Rudyard reservoirs – works we couldn’t otherwise afford. This will increase flow to support navigation in future years. The agreement will also see Severn Trent fund an upgrade to the dam at Rudyard Lake, further strengthening infrastructure.
Crucially, the agreement will not lessen the amount of water available this year for navigation on the Caldon Canal, nor will levels in the charity’s reservoirs be drawn down below an agreed minimum – protecting fish, wildlife and the natural environment.
Henriette Breukelaar, our regional director, comments: “Our main priority is to keep the canals filled with water for boats and to support the rich wildlife that lives in the canal network. Our teams are working tirelessly during this drought to use every drop we can.
“Even allowing for the fact that the channels feeding water from the Caldon Canal reservoirs into the canal network will run at capacity for the remainder of this summer, there would be some spare capacity at the end of the season. It is the ‘left over’ excess water that is effectively being used. In return, Severn Trent will help our charity by investing in the resilience of our Caldon Canal reservoirs ensuring they are better able to keep the canals topped up in the years ahead.”
Colin Church, Strategic Resource Engineering Lead from Severn Trent said, “In a proactive response to the driest spring and hottest summer on record, this partnership is a great example of how collaboration and innovation can deliver benefits for people, nature and infrastructure. This smart reallocation of water, together with vital infrastructure improvements at Knypersley and Rudyard reservoirs, will help strengthen the resilience of water supply across North Staffordshire and invests in the future of the canal network for years to come.”
Maintenance, repair and restoration work this weekend
As the above update demonstrates, the network wasn’t built for extreme weather and it does impact its’ ability to operate which sometimes mean we have to reluctantly restrict, or stop, navigation.
When this does happen, we get notices up on to our website as soon as we can – it’s always best to have a scan while you’re planning your cruise and also just before you set off. You can find out how to get stoppage notification alerts on your smartphone in this article.
A map of the areas affected by low water levels can be found on the Notices section of our website: filter by reason: ‘Low Water Levels’ and select ‘Map View’. If you think you’ll be regularly checking the map then bookmark this link and it’ll take you straight to the low water stoppage map.
Below, you’ll find a list of navigations that have ongoing restrictions not related to low water levels that may affect you if you’re planning to get out on the water this weekend:
If you have any questions about a specific closure, or spot an error in our system, please get in touch.
