Leeds & Liverpool could close in three weeks

AT A meeting in Wigan over the week-end it was discovered that unless there is a deluge, the Leeds & Liverpool Canal will close on 1st August—the start of the major summer holidays.

The meeting involved all facets of the waterway, with the water shortage on the Leeds & Liverpool discussed in depth, and is was discovered that despite the current restrictions on navigation, due to the continued lack of significant rainfall, the joint reservoir holding has continued to fall steeply, and is forecast to reach the minimum 10% holding by the 1st August.

No more water

This means that on that day no more water can be drawn from the reservoirs, and supply will cease for environmental and ecological reasons, with the canal closed to navigation.

The water levels in the longest pounds will be protected by inserting stop planks at seven different locations. However these pounds will inevitably drop in water level and the shorter pounds will lose their water completely.

Canal will close

The canal will close to navigation between Lock 85 (Wigan) and Lock 30 (Holme Bridge) from Monday 2nd August, and will remain closed until the resource position recovers. The remainder of the canal will remain open but subject to existing restrictions, and only  while feeder inflows can support demand.

Full details of the decision will be communicated this week  to  affected boating businesses, as it is felt it best that they should have  as much notice as possible in order to make alternative plans.

It is expected that British Waterways will issue a notice concerning this closure later this week.

From the State of the waterways category in our Gallery, it is obvious that the Leeds & Liverpool Canal is one of the worst maintained on the system, and as such is hardly able to stand up to any water shortage.

As a consequence of the ongoing dry weather, water abstraction  has already been stopped from Luddenden Foot on the Rochdale Canal, which is now closed at locks 1 to 4.

The other Pennine canal, the Huddersfield Narrow, however is open.