Leeds & Liverpool Canal

We had a good refill of our reservoirs last week with the heavy rain! We will continue to look at the water resource position each week and will keep THRIFT notices out, but at this time there is no need for any further action.

From today the Canal & River Trust is asking boaters on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal to help conserve water.

We’re doing this because rainfall has been lower than usual in May and our reservoir holdings are less than we would like.

Our water team has been monitoring the situation closely and has advised that current demands for water and the weather forecasts mean that there is a risk that the reservoir holdings may not be sufficient to supply the Leeds & Liverpool Canal throughout the main boating season. The rainfall last week helped top the reservoirs up but not to normal levels.

With the Bicentenary events the canal is very busy. 

We want to make sure that water reserves last for as long as possible to get us through the main boating season. 

As a boater there are some simple rules you can follow to help us conserve water: 

• Two in a lock? - share locks where possible
• Help keep it in – make sure gates and paddles are shut
• Report any leaks – tell us about them
• Invite oncoming boats through – don’t empty or fill locks if someone else can make use of the water

With these simple actions our water reserves will last longer. Our reservoirs can refill quickly if we get a good downpour but every little helps!