OnTheCut

We want to thank everyone for their continued support and understanding as we work hard to keep the canal levels to Leeds open. Our teams have been doing an incredible job managing water resources, especially during this challenging period. To help us conserve water and maintain safe navigation, we will be introducing some additional measures to those we announced on Friday, 16 May. Starting Tuesday 27 May, we will be adjusting the lock operations between Office Lock and Spring Garden Lock as follows: * Locks will be open from Friday through to Monday between 9:00am to 3:00pm * Locks will be closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays This will help us preserve water levels while still allowing boaters to enjoy access during the busier parts of the week. Please note that River Lock will remain open, so boaters will still be able to access Granary Wharf without any changes. We will provide a further update on the Friday 6 June 2025.

We have continued to monitor the exceptionally dry conditions, and the impact on our declining reservoir holdings. Unfortunately, despite all operational efforts to conserve water, as rainfall has remained well below the long-term average the situation has not improved. We can now confirm that, from the last passages on Thursday 22 May, the following lock flights will be closed to navigation until there is enough rainfall to replenish our reservoirs: * Wigan Lock Flight (Locks 85 to 65) * Blackburn Lock Flight (Locks 57 to 52) * Johnsons Hillock Lock Flight (Locks 64 to 58) * Barrowford Lock Flight (Locks 51 to 45) * Greenberfield Lock Flight (Locks 44 to 42) * Bank Newton Locks (Locks 41 to 36) * Gargrave -- Holme Bridge Lock (Locks 35 to 30) These closures are necessary to protect increasingly limited water resources and to help preserve canal infrastructure and ecology. We hope that this early confirmation allows time for boaters to adjust their plans and relocate as needed. Cruising within the long pounds between these lock flights may still be possible, where local water levels permit. However, passage through the listed locks will not be possible. The affected locks will be physically secured, and water loss will be minimised through sealing the lock gates and reducing flows passing by the lock flights. Bingley 5 Rise, Bingley 3 Rise, Kirkstall, Forge and Newlay Locks will remain open Thursday through to Monday, with reduced [operating hours](https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/leeds-and-liverpool-canal/boating-the-leeds-and-liverpool-canal) in place to support water conservation. The canal downstream of Wigan to Liverpool and Kirkstall to River Lock, Leeds, will remain open and we will continue to monitor the water levels closely. If your boat is currently in an area likely to be affected, we strongly recommend that you relocate to a place where you will continue to have access to [customer services, facilities](https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/london-and-south-east/boating-information/boating-facilities), and support. We understand this will be disappointing and disruptive to boating plans along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, and we assure you this decision has not been taken lightly. What's Next? We will continue to monitor the situation daily and will provide fortnightly updates, or sooner if conditions change. Our priority remains to reopen the lock flights as soon as rainfall replenishes reservoir to sufficient levels. Future updates will include further details of any repair and leak-prevention works carried out during the closure period. We again ask for your support in reducing water use wherever possible, sharing locks before closures take effect, and reporting leaks or concerns via 0303 040 4040 or our [Contact Us](https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/contact-us) page. Thank you for your continued understanding and cooperation during this exceptionally dry period. Our next update will be on or before Friday 6 June 2025.

We are currently experiencing the driest three-month period in over 90 years. The cumulative deficit in rainfall in 2025 so far is comparable to several historical droughts such as 1976, 1995 and 2003. Reservoirs across the country are reported to be 10% lower than usual. We're also part-way through a programme of major reservoir improvements, as required by legislation, so we were not able to start this season with complete holdings for several reservoirs. These factors are placing considerable pressure on the water situation affecting the Leeds \\\& Liverpool Canal. These are exceptional circumstances, and we want to explain what this means for our boating customers, what we are doing in response, and how we can work together to minimise the impact. Despite our best efforts to reduce water loss and manage the system carefully, water levels in our feeder reservoirs are continuing to fall as a result of canal water demands. We are doing everything operationally possible to conserve what water we have. This includes minimising flows where appropriate, reviewing options for filling leaks and managing known losses, coordinating lock operations to reduce wastage and exploring operational restrictions to stretch remaining resources. Notwithstanding our efforts, the lack of rainfall means that water supplies are now significantly below Long-Term Average and lower than the same time in the 2010, 2018 and 2022 droughts. Without significant and sustained rainfall, we face the reality of implementing closures to some sections of the Leeds \\\& Liverpool Canal to navigation until we have sufficient rainfall. At present, we anticipate that the locks will need to close by Tuesday 27 May, and if the situation worsens significantly, closures may have to come into effect as early as Tuesday 20 May. In addition to this, we are preparing for the possibility of short-notice temporary closures. These would be introduced only when absolutely necessary to give the canal a chance to recover water levels in specific sections. Additionally, we must reduce opening hours at certain locks as follows: From Tuesday 13 May, Bingley 5 Rise, Bingley 3 Rise, Kirkstall Forge and Newlay Locks will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and open Thursday through Monday aligning with reduced operating hours to conserve water. From Tuesday 27 May the following lock flights will also be closed: * Wigan Lock Flight (85 to 65) * Blackburn Lock Flight (57 to 52) * Johnsons Hillock Lock Flight (64 to 58) * Barrowford Lock Flight (51 to 45) * Greenberfield Lock Flight (44 to 42) * Bank Newton Locks (41 to 36) * Gargrave (Holme Bridge Lock 30) If your boat is currently in an area likely to be affected, we strongly recommend using the time before any closure is implemented to relocate to a place where you will continue to have access to [customer services, facilities](https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/go-boating/boat-facilities-and-services), and support. We understand how important it is to have time to plan, especially for those cruising or running businesses on the canal. We truly appreciate the circumstances are disappointing and disruptive, particularly for boaters with upcoming trips. That's why we are committing to giving at least two weeks' notice ahead of any full closure, so you have time to adjust your plans or move to alternative locations where needed. What we are doing? If closures are implemented, we will take additional steps to conserve as much water as possible. During this period affected lock flights will be secured against operation. The gates will be 'ashed up' (a traditional method of sealing gates) to reduce leakage and reduce water loss through the lock structures. Although the use of the lock flights will be suspended, cruising between the locks will remain possible where water levels permit, so local movement may still be feasible for many boaters. This is not a decision we're making lightly. A great deal of work is underway to prepare for both the short and long term. A dedicated Operational Water Resource Commander has been appointed to lead our response to the drought and coordinate our teams. We are working closely with partners to manage every aspect of the situation. We are monitoring the canal and reservoirs daily, assessing levels and evaluating the best operational decisions to sustain navigation where it is safe and possible. We are also using this time to carry out works that improve the canal's resilience including continuing to inspect our infrastructure and repair leaks. Future updates will contain more detail on how we will make use of any closed time to carry out leak prevention works. What you can do to help in the short period before closure? Your cooperation during this time is essential and deeply appreciated. Here are some things you can do to help reduce strain on the system: * Share locks where possible and make the best use of the water available. * Make sure paddles are fully closed once you've passed through a lock. * Aim for minimal contact when navigating through locks by ensuring gates are fully open as you pass through. * Pushing gates open using a boat can damage the gate lining, increasing its leakage. * If you spot a leak or any suspicious activities please call us on 0303 040 4040 or emailing via [contact-us](https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/contact-us) For the current lock opening times until they closed can be found on our dedicated page: [Leeds \\\& Liverpool Canal Boating Information](https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/leeds-and-liverpool-canal/boating-the-leeds-and-liverpool-canal) When will the canal reopen? This depends on rainfall, so we are unable to predict this. Certain reservoirs respond very quickly to rainfall, so prolonged wet weather in the right place can make a big difference. We are committed to reopening the canal as soon as we can. Next update Our next scheduled update will be on Friday 16 May, when we will provide a clearer picture of the situation and confirm whether closures will be necessary.