Canals: Closures
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many miles of canal have been closed for navigation due to water shortages in 2025.
Answered by Emma Hardy
The country’s largest navigation authority, the Canal and River Trust, reports that the prolonged period of dry weather this spring and summer has led to a number of restrictions and closures across its 2,000-mile inland waterway network. As well as low water levels generally, restrictions on navigation due to water shortages can also include closing locks to preserve the water in the canal sections between them. While this results in through navigation being closed, it may still be possible to navigate between turning points within the sections of canal between closed locks.
As of 31 August 2025, the Trust reports that there were 32 low water closures on 29 waterways impacting an estimated 403 miles, or 1/5th of the network. Since April 2025 the Trust has had 76 low water closures, 53 over 48 hours’ duration and 23 under 48 hours.
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