Canal Boat — February 2018

canalboat.co.uk Canal Boat February 2018 7

THREE months after the Grand Union Leicester
Line was closed as a result of low reservoir water
stocks, as we went to press the Canal & River Trust
was still unable to predict a reopening date.
A spokesman told Canal Boat that despite the
water saved as a result of the length south of
Leicester from Lock 30 to Lock 38 being closed
since September, reservoir levels were still “lower
than we would expect for this time of year”, and
that the closure would remain in place until further

notice “to give the reservoirs more of a chance

to refill”. To help with essential journeys such as

boats returning to home moorings, three one-

day temporary openings for booked passages

were organised in November in December, with

another planned (date to be confirmed)

in January.

Meanwhile on the southern Grand Union,

water shortage resulting from a pump failure in

early November led to restrictions on opening

hours at Marsworth Locks, but CRT hoped to have

a temporary pump installed by New Year.

Looking more generally, CRT is concerned that

the prolonged dry period which continued into

November has left some reservoirs lower than

normal. The Trust is “monitoring things closely”,

running computer models to predict the impacts

of the low rainfall, and using knowledge gained in

the 2011-12 drought to prepare potential mitigation

schemes.

Water shortage keeps Leicester Line shut...

IT MIGHT look like a barge crossed with a giant
accordion, but the strange vessel in this artist’s
impression is actually a floating church that’s
coming to north London’s waterways.
The extending aluminium roof opens up like the
top of an old Volkswagen camper van, enlarging the
internal space for church services – and the design
by London architecture studio Denizen Works draws
its inspiration from the bellows of a church organ.
The studio got together with well-known traditional

Thames boatyard Turks, sailmaker Jeckells and

yacht designers Tucker Designs to develop the

design after winning a competition for the project.

Organised by the Church of England’s Diocese

of London, the boat will moor at sites on the River

Lee and elsewhere in London to host services

and community events. Denizen’s Andrew Ingram

believes it will “provide its users with a unique and

inspiring space”. Subject to funding, it will take to

the water by the end of 2018.

Onward, Christian boaters...

GRAND UNION LEICESTER LINE

...while CRT looks to the longer term

WHILE CRT continues to monitor

the current water situation following

last year’s dry spells (see above),

the Trust also has a team looking at

water issues as far ahead as 2050 in

an ongoing five-year project Putting

the Water into Waterways, and has

just produced a report on progress

to date.

Some of the project’s initial

‘strategic actions’ have already

been implemented: in the past

year, nine new marina plans and

12 business boating proposals (for

example holiday hire fleets) have

been assessed to ensure that they

won’t increase the risk of any canal

closures from water shortage beyond

a once in 20 years threshold.

And in line with the objective of

assessing canal restorations for their

impact on water use, the Pocklington

has been the subject of a study

with a similar exercise under way

for the Grantham, and advice has

been provided to the canal trusts

involved with the Wilts & Berks,

Lapal, Daventry, Ashby and Cromford

schemes.

Studies have been carried out (but

with the results yet to be reported)

into the possible reinstatement of

water-saving side ponds at locks,

while lock gate design improvements

have included ‘sacrificial liners’ to

reduce leakage.

For 2018, the Trust aims to

complete a new water resources

computer model, and to progress the

applications for abstraction licences

for existing water supplies which will

be required as a result of the 2003

Water Act (driven by the European

Water Framework Directive).