BW North West have issued Restriction Notices for the Leeds and Liverpool Canal with immediate effect (24th May) until further notice from Lock 1 in Leeds to Appley Bridge Lock 91, west of Wigan, reducing passage to within operating hours 9am to 4.30pm each day.

Debbie Lumb, North West Waterway Manager said","We have been forced into putting in overnight restrictions on pretty much the whole of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal following the continued dry spell. The reservoirs supplying the summit have holdings well below their long term average for this time of year and unless we get some significant rain soon we will be at our 50% risk threshold". This threshold would restrict matters even more and by July the canal could be without water for cruising.

Debbie said, "I have diverted resources to working hard on fixing high leakage lock gates and using ash on others we cannot get to as quickly to try and help matters".

BW have issued a "position statement" which gives more details of the water position click here and a full list of the locks subject to the restricted openings are here.