Canal locks closed due to lack of rainfall

Lock gates along parts of the Leeds-Liverpool canal have been closed after water levels dropped due to a lack of recent rainfall.

The Canals and River Trust said lock use has been suspended between Wigan and Gargrave and on the Five Rise Locks at Bingley.

It comes after Yorkshire endured its direst spring in more than 140 years, with a drought declared across the region earlier this month by the Environment Agency.

A spokesperson for the Canal and River Trust said they had asked boaters to "temporarily stop using locks on some stretches of canal" due to low water levels.

They said: "This conserves the available water to keep boats afloat and protect wildlife.

"Boats can still cruise between locks and paddlers can use our waterways as usual. The towpath is fully open for people to use and enjoy.

"The public can help us to preserve water by reporting leaks and any lock gates and paddles that have been left open."

The spokesperson said they would continue to monitor water levels and hoped to get the locks "back open to boats as soon as possible" as the charity will continue to monitor water levels.

According to the trust's website the closures in Bingley were "necessary to protect increasingly limited water resources and to help preserve canal infrastructure and ecology".

The Met Office said Yorkshire had experienced its driest spring since records began in 1884 this year.

A drought was last officially declared in Yorkshire in 2022.

Yorkshire Water, which provides water to about five million people, said at the end of May that reservoir levels were at 62.3%, significantly lower than the average for this time of year (85.5%).

Dave Kaye, director of water at Yorkshire Water, said people using water wisely and some recent rainfall had helped to stabilise reservoir levels in Yorkshire in recent weeks.

He said: "We had one of the driest springs on record, which has impacted our reservoir levels, meaning they are much lower than normal for this time of year.

"Without significant rainfall in the coming months, temporary usage restrictions are a possibility."

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