The Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal – from Watford in Northamptonshire to Leicester – will be closed next week to conserve water, reports HFM News. This length includes the famous Foxton Locks near Market Harborough.
The Canal and River Trust has taken the decision because the reservoirs that feed the canal, including Saddington Reservoir, are unusually low because of the drought.
While drought will always be a problem for the canals, I get the impression that a backlog of maintenance, caused by the trust's financial position, was already leading to more closures than in a usual summer.
Anyway, you can see Foxton Locks above and Saddington Reservoir below.
One piece of good news for the canals is that the Welsh government has earmarked £5m to upgrade an emergency pumping station and keep the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal in water.
The canal's future was threatened by new laws that limit how much water it can take from the River Usk, though it's not clear from the Nation Cymru report that a long-term solution to the problem has been found.
Glad to hear that the Welsh government is doing something about the Mon & Brec. I will check the story about a pumping station as I had understood that the canal "borrows" water from the Usk. And had done so historically.
ReplyDeleteThe situation on the network is made worse by the fact that maintenance is reactive not preventive, so leaky kit loses water all the time. Watford Locks is an example on the Leicester Section. Locals can visit and ask the friendly volunteer lock-keepers.
The National seems to have misunderstood something about the story, but it sounds like good news - whatever the news is.
DeleteMaintenance should be a regular thing NOT reactive. That is the problem with all private organisations, money 1st, not insurance checks on structure for long term investment and security of an organisation, greed rather than stability.
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