CaRT and the EA

I just cannot agree with your correspondent who believes that boaters would be better served by Canal & River Trust taking over the Environment Agency rivers, writes James Henry.

I moor on the Severn, and am aware of the way that Canal & River Trust and before, British Waterways, go about repairs to the infrastructure on the river, even managing to kill a diver who was protected by an inefficient barrier and I remember a notice warning boaters to watch out for trees and vegetation growing from the banks obstructing a channel that are a risk to propellers, but not clearing them instead.

Stuck

And just down from our moorings a boater was able to take the wrong direction at Diglis Lock and ended up on the weir where it was completely stuck (pictured) as there was nothing to stop him.

All the time now we hear of more and more people taken on at Canal & River Trust, for it seems to do with everything but the navigations, and particularly to get visitors to the canals, that to my mind is wasting money, for we must all realise that there are no visitors interested in visiting such cold and uninviting places this time of year, yet that as we must all know leaves less and less money for maintenance.

Entirely separate

Okay, the Environment Agency itself does other things, but these are entirely separate, it having a dedicated team to oversee its rivers, and not one so interested in other  things.  I think it was Victor Swift who quoted 'stick with the devil you know', and it is good advice.