The Northampton stretch of the Grand Union Canal is closed in a bid to save water.A total of 17 locks along the Northampton Arm of the canal connecting the River Nene to the mainline of the Grand Union Canal is closed to boats.A total of 17 locks along the Northampton Arm of the canal connecting the River Nene to the mainline of the Grand Union Canal is closed to boats.The mainline of the canal, connecting Leicester and London remains open, but opening times have been restricted for those wanting to use locks at Stoke Bruerne, Braunston and Long Buckby, to try and preserve water.It comes after a summer reaching temperatures that the Met Office called ‘well above average’.With little rain forecast, the Canal & River Trust says it has been forced to put measures in place so water reaches areas most in demand.A charity spokesman said: “The summer’s hot weather and lack of rain means our charity is doing all we can to save water and transfer the flow that’s available to the right places on the network to meet demand.“With the Met Office not forecasting any meaningful rain, we’re putting measures in place to conserve water, including in some instances, restricting lock usage by boats. We apologise for the disruption and thank boaters for their patience during these periods.”The stretch of canal first closed on Monday July 27, with the charity saying reservoir holdings feeding into the Northampton Arm were lower than normal for the time of year.The charity says the closures are designed to keep waterways open for as long as possible and the situation will be continually reviewed.The spokesman added: “These measures are taken to preserve supplies and to keep navigations open for boating for as long as possible – managing supplies in our reservoirs and other sources that feed the canals – which at present are simply not being replenished.“The situation is being continually monitored and reviewed.“In the meantime, we’re targeting water-saving repairs and maintenance this summer to reduce leakage and better manage water flow as part of our year-round effort to care for these historic waterways.”Continue Reading
Total of 17 locks on Northampton stretch of Grand Union Canal closed to save water
