| Low water levels causing canal network closures - West Midlands, July 2025 Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 21:09, 26th July 2025 |     |
From the BBC:
Increasing numbers of canals in the West Midlands are closing, due to a lack of water.
The Canal and River Trust has warned that dry conditions were causing problems at a number of locks, including Wolverhampton lock flight.
It will close from Wednesday 30 July until there is sufficient rainfall to replenish reservoirs, said the trust.
The measure was necessary to help protect vital water resources on the Wolverhampton level, which supports several other parts of the Birmingham Canal navigations, it said.
"Whilst the majority of the network is open and fully navigable, there are currently restrictions in place on certain canals," the trust said.
Other areas affected in the region include:
- Birmingham and Fazeley Canal - Minworth lock is closed
Coventry Canal - Atherstone top lock to lock 6 has restricted passage
Rushall Canal lock is closed
Walsall Canal - Ryders Green lock has restricted passage
Caldon Canal in Staffordshire - Cheddleton top lock to bottom lock is closed
Volunteer lock-keepers have been helping to manage boat traffic at lock flights "to ensure water supplies are used as sparingly as possible," said national boating manager Alex Hennessey. "Water levels are being reviewed on a daily basis and we will remove, or introduce, water-saving measures as necessary," he added.
| Re: Low water levels causing canal network closures - West Midlands, July 2025 Posted by ChrisB at 21:39, 26th July 2025 | |
Cropredy lock on the Oxford Canal is already closed, meaning that this canal is closed south of that lock already.
| Re: Low water levels causing canal network closures - West Midlands, July 2025 Posted by grahame at 21:40, 26th July 2025 | |
Lock restrictions in dry summers (and indeed in some places in moderate summers) have been common for a very long time. When we had a share in a boat, I can recall problems on the Napton flight were almost every year, and we had problems on Hatton at one point too. The Kennet and Avon had such problems when it re-opened that just one boat - carrying the Queen - was allowed down Caen Hill. These days it is "back pumped"
There are now more boat passages that there were in commercial days in many places - though you wouldn't think it when you see how many boats are still on their marina moorings even on a typical day in high summer. But then I suppose that if all the cars in the UK were being driven atound on the road at the same time, we would have gridlock.
| Re: Low water levels causing canal network closures - West Midlands, July 2025 Posted by grahame at 21:42, 26th July 2025 | |
Cropredy lock on the Oxford Canal is already closed, meaning that this canal is closed south of that lock already.
Odd choice - is the Claydon flight open?
Tardbigge top lock out of service too, I believe ... for different reasons, though it takes a lot of water that one!
