Lock flights to be closed overnight - Wolverhampton, Rushall, Walsall, Factory, Brades, Spon Lane & Smethwick

Detail

From Date: 18/04/2019 16:00

To Date: 10/05/2019 10:23 inclusive

Type: Navigation Restriction

Reason: Information

Is the towpath closed? No

Location

Closest waterway: Anglesey Branch (Wyrely and Ess'n)

Starts at: Cannock Chase Pumping Station[Abandoned]

Ends at: Cannock Chase Pumping Station[Abandoned]

Updates

10/05/2019 10:23

The temporary pump is now working in the Bradley borehole and the two back-up pumps to move water from the Birmingham level onto the Wolverhampton level, if required, will be installed today so the restrictions on the Wolverhampton level can now be lifted. Can we take this opportunity to thank you all for your patience.

Description

We are currently experiencing problems with our sources of water supply into the Wolverhampton Level. Currently only one of the 3 pumps at Bradley groundwater pumping station is available to feed the Wolverhampton Level which is 47 miles in length. Our engineers and operational staff are working on a solution to replace one of the pumps as soon as we can. We are also working closely with Staffordshire County Council as owners of Chasewater Reservoir and Natural England to secure a feed into the canal.

In the meantime the level in the pound has been slowly falling but is still navigable. As a precaution we will be restricting navigation to daytime hours only by locking up all the lock flights overnight that lead off the level starting Thursday the 18th of April. Opening hours will be 8.30am to last boat 4.00pm each day. We hope that closing overnight will give the operational pump at Bradley more time to recover the pound overnight. In addition, locking up overnight is a precautionary measure to prevent inappropriate use of lock paddles.

Boaters also have a really important role to play and we ask that they help us to save water by making sure that all gates and paddles are closed after use, sharing a lock if possible and waiting for oncoming boats where appropriate.  For more water saving tips go to-

www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/a-guide-to-boating