Crick
The water at Crick comes from below Watford Locks, which may come from as far as Milton Keynes, Oxford or Birmingham, and from reservoirs on the Leicester Summit. The Leicester Summit is the 23 mile lock-free stretch of the Grand Union Canal from Watford Locks to Foxton Locks. Water is pumped up Watford Locks. Feeders (diverted streams) also bring smaller amounts of water into the system.
Each year over4000 lockfuls, which is 600 million litres of water, pass down Watford Locks and over 1000 million litres are pumped up at a cost of about £12,000.
Water from canal from the River Avon feeds directly into the canal from November to May, to maintain river flow in the summer.
Knowle Locks
The water at Knowle Locks, on the Grand Union Canal in the West Midlands, comes primarily from Olton Reservoir, which holds 320 million litres of water, and a backpump in central Birmingham. Reservoir water is gravity-fed to the canal. This is much less expensive than pumping water. Feeders from diverted streams also bring smaller amounts of water into the system.
The pump at bowyer Street lifts water up past Camp Hill Locks, from the Digbeth Pound to the Ten Mile Pound to the Ten Mile Pound on the Grand Union Canal. The water pumped up at Bowyer Stret can either come from the Birmingham Level or the groundwater pump at Perry Barr.
Knowle Locks are used around 1,300 time a year.
