CANOE ENGLAND – Waterways and Environment Dept
Drought Advice Note to Paddlers
Water Situation Update
As you are aware many parts of the country are short of water with the official announcement of a drought after long periods of exceptionally low rainfall and the public being urged to conserve water. Restrictions are in place to ban the use of hosepipes and on some canal and river navigations the use of locks is being limited or stopped.
The lack of rain places a great strain on the environment and our sport. Despite the welcome spell of rainfall in late April, the dry spell is forecast to continue over the coming months and it is likely we are going to see lower river levels than normal with some more of the smaller rivers drying up which will affect fish and wildlife. Therefore it is important to follow guidelines when you are either considering to paddle or when you are on the water.
Advice to Paddlers
We recommend that you consider the following actions in order to minimise the risk to both yourself and the natural environment:
- Do not canoe on waterways which are too shallow and where you may come into contact with the river or lake bed. This may have the potential impact of disturbing wildlife and their habitats or attract allegations of disturbance.
- If you encounter shallower areas, read the water and seek out a deeper channel where possible as your route
- To limit the number of times a lock has to open you should share the lock with other craft or simply portage around the lock.
- Low flows means there is less water to dilute effluent/ run off from surrounding land and sewage treatment works. Be aware lower levels of water quality can present a potential health hazard.
- Be aware of toxic blue green algae which may be more common on our waterways at times of low water flow/quantity.
- Use water sparingly when washing down your equipment when following Stop The Spread (bio-security) guidance. It is permissible to use a hosepipe for bio-security and health & safety measures in provisions under the Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010.
- Report incidents, pollution and damage to the environment such as fish deaths to the relevant authorities:
Contacts
Environment Agency for pollution and fish deaths 0800 80 70 60
Canal and River Trust - http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/contact-us
RSPCA for wildlife and animals in distress 0990 55 59 99 (24 hours)
For further advice, please contact
[email protected]
Regards
The Waterways and Environment Team