Boaters' Update February 2009
This month we cover BW’s Towpath Tidy, the EU Water Framework Directive, BW’s film map, Liverpool waterfront celebrations and how narrowboats got voted one of England’s icons.
Britain’s waterways need you!
BW is calling all boaters, walkers, cyclists and waterway visitors to join its annual volunteer clean up of the waterways from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 March.
BW’s 2009 Towpath Tidy is supported by the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Encams, the Inland Waterways Association and a number of canal societies and trusts.
Find out here how you can join in and get details of events in your local area
Planning to protect our canals and rivers
The Environment Agency (EA) and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) have launched a new way of planning how our water environment is protected and improved. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) applies across the whole of the European Union and outlines plans which set out the current state of the water environment, including canals, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, coastal waters and groundwater. They also set quality objectives to be met in the future, and lay down who has to do what, by when, to meet these objectives.
Click here to read more about water quality on the EA website
BW is looking closely at the draft plans to make sure water quality problems affecting its waterways, such as weed growth, are identified and that any actions proposed for BW are affordable and proportionate. The plans show that, while there have been big improvements in the quality of our waters, huge challenges remain. The main sectors that will need to take action are the water industry and agriculture.
From a national perspective, boating has a relatively low impact on the water environment. However there are some things you can do to contribute to a better water environment like slowing down, maintaining your engine, taking care with grey water and minimising use of antifouling paints.
Visit the Green Blue website for more information on how you can reduce your environmental impact
Twelve River Basin Management Plans in England, Wales and Scotland (one for each River Basin District) have been published in draft form by the EA and the SEPA. They are asking for your views by 22 June 2009, before publishing the final version of the plans in December 2009.
Click here to read more online and to download the plans for England & Wales and Scotland
Boaters help BW with licence enforcement
BW says a big thank you to the 150 or so boaters, who between them have logged over 500 sightings of boats not displaying a licence, using our new online boat checker.
Find out more about the online boat checker
Of these reports 5% related to boats which had already been relicensed and a further 63% were already in our enforcement process, 7% resulted in new cases being opened for action, and the remaining 25% were boats which were not identifiable through a valid boat index number.
The unidentified boat details provided have been passed to the enforcement team but for them to be useful, a clearly identifiable location and good description of the boat are needed. January has been quiet – not surprising given the weather – but we look forward to receiving further contributions as spring approaches.
BW maps Britain’s canals and rivers on screen
BW has mapped out waterside film and TV locations on its network of canals, rivers and docks, and is inviting you to discover the real-life film sets on your doorstep.
The Film Map features big budget Hollywood favourites like '28 Weeks Later' and 'The World is Not Enough,' which were filmed around the imposing cityscape of London’s Docklands. It also includes British hits like 'The Full Monty', with its famous scene where characters are marooned on the roof of a sinking car in the Sheffield & Tinsley Canal, and 'This is England', featuring scenes on the Nottingham & Beeston Canal.
Also represented on the map are long-running TV classics like 'Inspector Morse' and 'Coronation Street' and more recent productions like the adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s fantasy novel 'The Colour of Magic' and 'Crusoe' starring Sean Bean.
In the last few years, 'location vacations' have seen a big increase in popularity and, as budgets are increasingly tightened, taking a break in the UK is becoming a preferred option. So whether you want to go on a Nessie hunt at Loch Ness or follow in the footsteps of cult cooks the Two Fat Ladies on the spectacular Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in north Wales, there’s plenty of scope for imagination.
Front row seats at a waterway hanging
Ever wondered what a de-watered lock looks like? Or what goes on during a stoppage? Well now is your chance.
Each year BW spends around £100m on canal maintenance. A focused £30m programme of repairs on the historic canal infrastructure this winter includes the removal of more than 80,000 tonnes of dredging and the replacement of 200 solid oak lock gates.
For every £1 that BW spends on the historic waterway network, 31p comes from Government grants, 22p from third party funders, 12p from boaters and 35p from the organisation’s other commercial activities such as utilities, property and pubs.
Liverpool waterfront celebrations
The new Liverpool Canal Link played a starring role in the closing events for Liverpool’s 2008 City of Culture celebrations. Tens of thousands of people gathered at the waterfront to take part in the transition event which featured dozens of lanterns illuminating the new canal at Pier Head.
BW’s North West general manager, Debbie Lumb, said: "We were thrilled to see the new canal link feature at the heart of the closing ceremony of the Capital of Culture year. With the opening of the canal link in Spring 2009 the waterfront will be animated with boaters from all over the country visiting Liverpool to see for themselves the transformation of the waterfront and the city."
Read more about Liverpool waterfront celebrations
Ellesmere Yard to get a heritage facelift
Historic Ellesmere Yard on the Llangollen Canal is to be transformed under a £132k partnership project that will safeguard its future and realise its potential as a key visitor destination in Ellesmere.
The site has huge historical significance as the former headquarters of legendary canal pioneer Thomas Telford, whose engineering prowess helped put the region on the Industrial Revolution map.
BW’s Wales & Border Counties, heritage and environment manager, Peter Birch, said the site dates from around 1800 and its evolution is well documented. "The yard is an outstanding example of living heritage. It has been in continuous use for the past 200 years and still serves its original purpose as a canal company maintenance yard."
Read more about the Ellesmere yard heritage partnership project and initiatives
Narrowboats voted one of England’s icons
Narrowboats have come third in a poll of the most popular icons of the English countryside.
The poll, by the Campaign to Protect Rural England, featured icons nominated by award-winning actors, writers and film-makers, with the results decided by an online public vote. Narrowboating on canals was nominated by actor Kevin Spacey.
Pub signs claimed the number one spot with 14.5% of the public vote, closely followed by red post boxes.
This is not the first time that narrowboating has gained iconic status. In 2006 narrowboats joined an exclusive band of 74 official Icons of England through the ICONS project.
Read more about England’s icons online
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