Lancaster Canal boaters left frustrated by water shortage

Boaters on the Lancaster Canal have been left feeling frustrated after the ongoing drought has caused low water levels across the waterway.

Navigation restrictions have been in place since 9th July across the 41-mile long canal due to the low water levels, where the canal has faced closures amid the drought.

This summer is set to be the hottest on record, with even drier and hotter summers becoming more likely in line with evidence of climate change.

Boat owner Mark Sadler described how there are certain sections of Lancaster Canal that are unreachable due to shallow waters, adding that measuring devices in the canal showed that its depth is 8 inches shallower than before the drought.

He also said: “My boat is 2ft 2in in terms of the depth of water it requires, so anything less than that and I’m grounded, so very small changes in water levels actually make a huge difference as to whether it’s a pleasurable boating experience or whether you’re struggling.”

Sadler, who lives on board his boat on the 200-year-old canal, also said that he noticed reduced water flows coming from Killington Lake, Cumbria, compared to previous years.

Mark Jones, who runs Kingfisher Cruises journeys on the canal, said: “We operate from Barton Grange and from Lancaster and the problem is now we can’t get to Lancaster from Barton Grange because the water’s too low.

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“Three weeks ago, we had to leave Lancaster early, we had a week’s worth of bookings still to go up there, but we had to leave.”

He added that a number of cruises have been cancelled due to low water levels and has cost the business around £1500 thus far, which may reach £5000 by the end of summer if such conditions continue.

Jones said that the Canal and River Trust (CRT) has solved some problems over the past few months with regards to leaks and maintenance, but more should have been done earlier in the year.

Angela Park Jones, part of the Canal and River Trust, admitted that there are “some leakage issues” along Lancaster Canal due to the age of the waterway.

She also confirmed Mark Sadler’s research which suggested that Killington is at 80-85% capacity, adding that the CRT is limited in the amount of water it is able to take from Killington Lake and put in the canal due to licences with land owners, so the Trust does not take more water than they are actually allowed.

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