Source: Canal & River Trust
A 1km stretch of canal in the heart of London has been completely drained of water ahead of the Canal & River Trust’s £45 million winter restoration programme which starts next month. Hundreds of fish, including several big carp to 25lb, were scooped up and moved to safety.
The Regent’s Canal has been drained between Johnson Lock and Limehouse Basin in east London to allow specialist brick-layers to repair large, 2-3ft-wide voids which have developed in the canal wall. Works are expected to start this week and the area will remain empty for ten weeks, re-opening ahead of Christmas.
Following an electrofishing programme over 500 fish were rescued and relocated upstream, including carp, bream and perch and around 350 eels.
John Ellis, national fisheries and angling manager at Canal & River Trust, said:
“The Regent’s Canal is an important habitat for the protected European Eel and the Trust takes our responsibility to care for the fish in our waterways very seriously. The electric current does not harm the fish at all and it makes it much easier for us to move them to safety. The essential works to improve the brickwork of the Regent’s will not affect their habitat once the canal is refilled.”
In November, the Canal & River Trust will begin a major overhaul of its waterways as part of a five-month, multi-million pound maintenance programme to canals and rivers across England and Wales. As part of this, next month the public will be given the rare chance to go behind-the-scenes and venture into the bottom of the Regent’s Canal, giving them the opportunity to see up close some of the finest examples of working industrial heritage in the world.
The essential maintenance will include the replacement of worn-out lock gates and repairs to aqueducts, reservoirs and tunnels. The works will also provide thousands of visitors the rare chance to go behind-the-scenes and venture into the bottom of drained lock chambers.
Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, said:
“The Canal & River Trust cares for a remarkable 2,000 mile network of historic waterways, ensuring they work as they were designed to 200 years ago. The Regent’s Canal drainage and repair work is just one of many projects we undertake which also give the public a rare glimpse beneath the surface of our waterways and a chance to appreciate the work we do to care for these national treasures.”
