The Grantham Canal Water Restoration Group ( GCWG ) pushes for leak repairs after the canal dries up.
In light of the recent lack of rainfall and the effect this is having on waterways, including the Nottingham to Grantham Canal, GCWRG (Grantham Canal Water Restoration Group) issues this message:
GCWRG recognises that we have had much less rainfall this year and would expect this to be reflected in water levels in the canal to some extent.
But the Grantham Canal has successfully retained water for over 200 years, as it was designed to do, and it is mainly the lack of maintenance that has led to leaks and the catastrophic loss of water.
If the leaks had been fixed then it would undoubtably have retained more water than there is now.
At a time of unprecedentedly dry weather, GCWRG believes that the importance of fixing leaks and retaining water is more important than ever.
This lack of maintenance is a consequence of the canal being classed as disused – a ‘remainder waterway’ – but, far from being disused, it is a 30-mile resource used by thousands of people every day.
The mental and physical benefits of exercising and being next to water are well known – in the words of the blue signs on the canal: ‘Life is better by water!’ GCWRG believes that the Government, councils and the Canal and River Trust need to redefine the canal as a vital local resource for health and wellbeing, prioritise funding accordingly and stop the water leaking away.
GCWRG was established in 2019 after the Nottingham to Grantham Canal dried up at Kinoulton and levels were drastically reduced further upstream including Hickling Basin.
Bringing together local parish, borough and county councils together with residents and the Grantham Canal Society and others, GCWRG has since been working with Canal and River Trust to push for the repair of leaks and the restoration of consistent water levels in this part of the canal.
Repairs have been repeatedly promised and are currently scheduled for this autumn.
GCWRG has also launched its ‘SLOW’ (Stop Losing Our Water’) campaign and has raised over £7,000 so far in order to be able to provide much needed funds for work on reed removal, dredging, etc.
