Erewash Canal entirely closed

IT WAS announced yesterday, Thursday, by Canal & River Trust that the Erewash Canal is entirely closed to navigation.

This means there is no navigation whatsoever from its source in Langley Mill to its junction with the Trent at Trent Lock, Keith Gudgin reports.

Continued low water

This is due to the continued low water resources and lack of rainfall together with the struggle to keep normal water levels on the canal.

Time and time again we have reported sections closed through lack of water, even yesterday telling of its closure between Pastures Lock 64 and Gallows Inn Lock 67.

But now it has reached the situation that there is simply not enough capacity of water to keep levels to navigational standard, so the only alternative was to close the entire canal to stop navigation and so give the waterway the chance to recover.

Tough decision

Consequently, the trust state it has had to make the tough decision to temporarily close the entire navigation, between Langley Mill Lock and Trent Lock, until the levels start to improve.

It is carrying out water control every day to try and return the levels back to normal, but this may take some time.

Boaters presently moored on the waterway are asked not to travel along the canal until further notice.