Latest news of water-related impacts on the waterways.
A network under pressure: CEO Campbell Robb on the challenges facing the waterways
Earlier this week, Trust CEO Campbell Robb emailed an ‘open letter’ to all boat licence holders. This excerpt is particularly relevant as we head into yet another heatwave:
“I know that many of you right now are feeling and seeing a sense of real jeopardy for our canal network and its future, with stoppages, a lack of water, uncertainty about licensing, communications that can be too little or too late, and a feeling that things are not moving fast enough.
“The current drought has brought out a lot of this – we have been really challenged by trying to manage water across a canal network that has seen no rain for weeks on end.
“On top of the dry and hot conditions we are also dealing with a significant number of infrastructure challenges that mean that, in some places, even where water is available, we cannot always move it to where it is needed most.
“These factors combined have led to the restrictions and closures on the network that many of you are facing, which I know are incredibly frustrating for boaters and canal businesses.
“All of it creates a perfect storm. In my first nine months I have seen an unpredictable breach that will cost several millions to repair, five named storms, and we are now in the third ‘once-in-200-year’ drought in five years. And it feels as though it’s just going to get worse unless we all start thinking and acting differently.
What we are doing about the situation
“Operationally, the Trust has mobilised its highest level of response to manage and coordinate our immediate actions. We are changing our planned maintenance to give priority to engineering work that addresses movement constraints on key routes where there are higher levels of boats and boating businesses, as well as water transfer obligations.
“These are difficult calls to make as it means other work will inevitably get delayed. The team is working urgently on a revised plan to undertake key repairs while protecting the network from running dry and we’ll provide updates via the website and notice pages.
“I don’t know how long we’ll be in this situation or how long we’ll need to operate in this way. In the meantime, I really value your support in helping to save water by sharing locks where possible, closing gates and paddles, and letting us know about low water, leaks and other issues – thank you.”
You can read Campbell’s full letter online: An open letter to our licence holders from CEO Campbell Robb | Canal & River Trust
14-day movement rule suspended during drought
Until 31 August 2026, boaters without home moorings won't be required to move every 14 days. This is part of a range of measures to conserve water during the current drought. If you have a home mooring but are cruising elsewhere on the network, this temporary suspension also applies to you.
We’ve introduced this temporary measure, which comes into force with immediate effect, to help reduce demand on the network and avoid unnecessary lock movements at a time when waterways are under growing pressure from the drought across half of England and all of Wales.
In place until the end of the month, we’ll keep it under review if drought conditions continue.
Where water resources and local conditions allow, you can continue to enjoy the waterways, including summer holidays, leisure cruising and accessing essential facilities such as water points and boat yards. However, by temporarily removing the requirement for boats without a home mooring to move at least every 14 days, we hope to reduce non-essential journeys.
The temporary suspension applies only to the 14-day movement requirement. It does not allow overstaying on short-stay moorings and facilities, where existing time limits remain in force. Whilst the 14-day movement requirement is suspended, our rangers will focus on short-stay and facilities moorings to ensure they remain available for all.
You can find the latest water resources updates and your frequently asked questions here: Drought FAQs | How we're managing the water in our canals
Boaters’ fire safety during drought
So far this year (to 28 July), more than 54,000 acres of land in the UK, equivalent to almost 34,000 football pitches, have been affected by wildfires. During drought conditions, dry bankside vegetation can ignite easily and fires can spread rapidly. By following simple precautions, boaters can help protect themselves, their boats and the waterways from becoming part of this growing statistic.
Reminder: Towpath Fires and BBQs
With another heatwave on the way, this is just a reminder to everyone to be especially vigilant when using BBQs, fire pits, pizza ovens and anything else flammable on towpaths.
Some towpaths, especially those that are part of parks and other green spaces are especially dry right now, so please make sure they’re well controlled, never left unattended and fully extinguished when finished with.
There’s plenty of great advice online about fire safety and in our Boaters Handbook, but you might also find this advice on wildfires in the UK helpful.
Low-water level restrictions this weekend
With no meaningful rainfall across many parts of the network, a number of low-water restrictions will be in place this weekend to help conserve water and protect navigation. The map below shows the locations where restrictions are currently planned, helping you understand what to expect before setting out and make informed decisions about your planned cruising.
Conditions can change quickly, particularly during prolonged periods of dry weather, so we strongly encourage all boaters to stay up to date with the latest information. The easiest way to do this is by signing up for email stoppage notices, which provide timely updates about restrictions, closures, emergencies and navigation changes affecting your chosen waterways.
You can also use our online stoppage system to create your own personalised maps and alerts. Simply visit the stoppages section of our website, filter notices by waterway, location, reason or date, and use the map view to see current and planned restrictions across the network. By selecting the waterways that matter most to you and subscribing to updates, you'll receive the latest information directly to your inbox, helping you plan ahead and avoid unexpected disruption.
Thank you for your continued support in helping to conserve water by sharing locks where possible, ensuring paddles and gates are closed after use, and reporting low water levels, leaks or other concerns to our teams. Together, these small actions can make a significant difference during exceptionally dry conditions.
Other maintenance this weekend that may affect cruising
Alongside the low-water restrictions shown on the map, planned and unplanned works may affect cruising this weekend. As you’ll know only too well, keeping a 250-year-old canal network open and navigable means carrying out repairs and maintenance year-round, whether that's addressing ageing locks and bridges, responding to asset failures, or carrying out essential engineering work before problems become more significant.
While we're doing everything possible to minimise disruption, some works will inevitably require navigation restrictions or temporary closures. Before setting off, it's worth checking the latest stoppage notices for your route and surrounding waterways. You can view all current notices for this weekend on our interactive map and sign up for personalised alerts, helping you stay informed about any issues that may affect your cruising plans.
If you’ve got a question about a specific closure, or you spot something that doesn’t look quite right, just get in touch — we’re happy to help.
