With half of England and all of Wales being declared in drought this week by the Environment Agency, and the canal network feeling the impact of what is being described by the government agency as a ‘flash drought’, we're providing an update on our work to manage water resources and minimise disruption for boaters as much as possible.
Our highest level of operational response
Following weeks of exceptionally dry weather,we've activated our highest level of operational response and continue to redirect as much resource as possible towards projects that help conserve water and keep boats moving.
On Wednesday, a large swathe of central, eastern, and southern England was announced as officially experiencing a flash drought, which develops very quickly, brought about by a combination of very low rainfall and higher temperatures. All of Wales was declared in drought on Thursday. On the canal network this has seen reservoir levels, river levels and canal feeders reduce, and temporary restrictions or closures bought in to manage canal water levels.
We're focusing investment and operational activity on retaining water and supporting navigation on key through-routes, waterways with high levels of boat traffic, locations that support boating businesses, and routes with important water transfer obligations.
This includes prioritising the repair of lock gates and paddles, identifying and fixing leaks, improving feeder channels, and accelerating other projects that help save water and strengthen the resilience of the network. As a result, some planned work in other areas will be paused while resources are concentrated on the most urgent priorities.
The current conditions reflect a wider challenge facing waterways across the country, with drought status declared in three of the last five years. As Water Minister Emma Hardy noted in the Environment Agency’s update: “Our climate is changing, droughts are becoming increasingly common, and we need to be prepared for this new normal.”
Our priority actions
Campbell Robb, our chief executive, said: “In response to the rapidly expanding drought we are having to pause some maintenance and repairs and are prioritising the work and resources needed to help retain water and support navigation.
“We know restrictions and closures are hugely frustrating for both boaters and canal businesses, and we're sorry for the disruption they cause. Please rest assured that we all want the same thing: a thriving and navigable network. These changes will help us protect the routes that are most important for boating, support boating businesses and strengthen the resilience of the network for the future.”
We recognise that restrictions and closures can greatly affect boaters and is providing the following advice.
Where restrictions or closures prevent boaters without a home mooring from moving in the usual way, we will take this into account when reviewing boat movements. There is no need to contact us separately about this. Boaters with disabilities or other access needs are asked to get in touch and we will see what support can be offered.
The best and fastest way to stay informed about restrictions is by signing up to email or text message notifications via our website’s Notices section. A map of the affected areas can also be found on the Notices section: filter by reason: ‘Low Water Levels’ and select ‘Map View’.
We're asking boaters to report water levels that are looking unusually low via its webform: contact us. Teams actively manage water levels and can carefully refill low pounds, checking for problems and making sure moored boats on adjacent pounds stay safe.
