Canal goes green

NOT the normal 'green' liked by so many, but the actual green of pea soup—parts of the Lancaster Canal at the moment.

Duck weed covers a large area of the waterway near Preston, making it very difficult for boaters, slowing forward movement and clogging up prop shafts and propellers, Alan Tilbury reveals.

Bank to bank

It is caused by a combination of sunshine on stagnant water, and quickly springs-up around this time of the year, causing problems to lesser used waterways, forming from bank to bank on the Lancaster Canal.

Unlike the blue-green algæ that is also being reported, duck weed in not harmful to either humans or animals.

At Preston it occurred during the town's three days boating festival celebrating the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Ribble Link, but did not affect the festivities.