Lock closures and low water levels maroons boaters

A retired boat-dwelling couple fear they could be marooned for months because of efforts to fight a major wildfire and conserve water levels.

Terry and Margaret Watson, from Northampton, said that emergency lock closures to allow firefighters to abstract water from the River Nene has left them marooned at Foxes Marina, March - 80 miles (129k) away from their usual home mooring,

Meanwhile, a couple mooring in the Ely area said they were currently stuck in Northampton.

The Middle Level Commissioners (MLC), who look after the waterways in Fenland, said its system was acting as a 'conduit' to transfer water to the Holme Fen fire area and working closely to support the various agencies involved.

Mr Watson, 75, said he has no issue with lock gates being closed to aid the fire service currently fighting the huge peat based blaze at Holme Fen Nature Reserve.

"We should now be making the eight day journey back to our home base but will also face difficulties as the Canal and River Trust say water levels have shut lock gates further along on our trip", he said.

But he explained that the lock gates closure has currently cost him more than £1000 as he has paid up front for mooring fees in Northampton Marina but is now also paying Foxes Marina fees.

And with the river Nene between Peterborough and Northampton prone to flood in the autumn he feared it could be closed until next April, leaving them stranded until spring.

"We will have to go with the flow", he added.

Emma Pell was bringing a narrowboat she and her husband had bought back from Staffordshire when they hit restrictions on the lock system.

"We got as far as the Northampton arm, a series of 17 locks that takes boats from the Grand Union Canal on to the River Nene, but the locks are closed as the water levels are like a little stream", she said.

The 54-year-old said the couple could be stuck on the canal until next spring unless water levels improve.

"Boaters do talk about the possibility of not being able to access the canals via the River Nene if the climate continues to produce droughts", she added.

The MLC said its system has acted as a 'conduit' to transfer water from the Environment Agency's Lower Nene at Stanground near Peterborough through to the local Internal Drainage Board system (Holmewood & District IDB) at the fire site at Holme Fen.

"Given the scale of the incident and the water requirements at the Holme Fen fire, the decision was taken to suspend navigation within our Bevill's Leam 'pond' on 11 August," it said.

But it added it was hopeful that with the continued improvement of water levels, navigation in the Bevill's Leam 'pond' will be fully open again as soon as possible.

The Canal and River Trust said the Northampton arm of the Grand Union Canal has been closed since July to conserve water on the main line of the canal and maintain a north/south route for boaters.

It said it realised the closure was frustrating for boaters remaining on the arm and apologised for the disruption.

It added it was continually monitoring conditions and will update boaters as the situation develops.

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