Four positions will be elected by boat licence holders and two positions elected by boating businesses. Employees of the Canal & River Trust will also elect a staff representative to the Council.

The campaign aims to transform 50 waterway locations along 30km of canals and rivers by July 2012, when the eyes of the world will be turned on the capital. It hopes to get at least 4000 people involved, attending more than 80 events, including walking litter picks, wildflower meadow planting and invasive weed species removal.

Traders wishing to take advantage of the increase in visitors coming to London from across the UK and around the world, have been offered the opportunity to take up mooring berths, with discounts available to those booking consecutive weeks and long stays.

Several thousand people on each day braved the cold weather and queued patiently for a glimpse inside the locks. They entered the locks down scaffolding staircases and were given a tour of the skilled work that goes into preserving this 200-year-old structure. Further staircases allowed them to descend from one lock of the steep flight to the next. A water bus service carried visitors to and from the site by canal.

In 2012 the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal will celebrate the 200th anniversary of its opening. A series of events will be held throughout the year, launching on 10 February. The celebrations will begin with the ‘ringing of the bells’, recreating the Mon & Brec’s opening ceremony 200 years ago.

This is the second year that the Easter Gathering will be joined by a Sea Shanty Festival, with performances by traditional musicians.

This unprecedented funding for a new charity paves the way for the launch of the new Canal & River Trust later this year – a new 'national trust for the waterways' that will harness the support of thousands of supporters and volunteers to help look after the canals and rivers in England and Wales for the benefit of future generations.

The Chesterfield Canal Trust volunteers made the discovery on private land opposite the towpath in Hollingwood, Derbyshire. The canal is mostly silted up but the top part of the tunnel arch is still visible.

The Montgomery Canal is one of the world’s leading sites for the Luronium natans floating water plantain. The canal is already a Site of Special Scientific Interest for almost half its length and a Special Area of Conservation for its entire length within Wales.

All you need to do is set aside an hour this weekend, to watch the birds in your garden, local park or stretch of canal towpath. Make a note of the highest number of each bird species you see on the ground at any one time. Then, submit your results online at www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch.

Last week saw Brian Blessed don a life jacket and take to the Kennet & Avon Canal to open lock gates and help out passing boaters. Launching the organisation’s campaign to attract new volunteers to the waterways he said: “Ever since I was a child I’ve loved our canals and rivers, going off exploring on my bike and looking for wildlife.

Rebecca Williams, British Waterways’ volunteer team leader in London said: “We know that local people are really passionate about their canals and rivers. They are great places in the city, offering a linear wildlife habitat and a place to escape the busy streets, and they showcase an area's heritage.

The first of the 10,000 trees that will make up the canal-side wood are being planted over the next two months. The remainder will be planted towards the end of year, when conditions once again become suitable for planting trees. The project is being run by the Woodland Trust and funded by the Forestry Commission.

The Wey & Arun Canal Trust (WACT) is fundraising in order to build new parapets for the Loxwood High Street Canal Bridge. The parapets will be constructed from locally-made brick to fit in with the nearby 17th-century Onslow Arms Pub and the award-winning Loxwood Lock.

Many parts of southern and central Britain have experienced the driest twelve months since records began. Across parts of the South and the Midlands, groundwater tables and reservoir holdings are considerably lower than normal for this time of year. Given the amount of rain that has fallen so far this winter (the time of year when water supplies typically recover), British Waterways (BW) is investing £700,000 in making use of alternative supplies to help replenish reservoir levels and conserve the available water.

Sites along the Aire & Calder Navigation and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal will play host to walk-on-water balls, canoeing sessions, boat trips, live music, dance, art, food and drink. Venues include Granary Wharf, Brewery Wharf, Clarence Dock and Thwaites Mill Watermill Museum.

For the past three weeks the basin has been fed by a pipe through a temporary dam. On Thursday 5 January the dam was dug out, allowing the last few inches of water to gush through.

Volunteers from Stourport Forward plan to refurbish the Bramble so that it can be used for education and possibly boat trips. Some of the volunteers also give their time to the British Waterways Historic Working Fleet, so they are able to bring their heritage expertise to the project.

The new boats will join the company’s existing fleet of almost 500 narrowboats and will provide holiday makers with even more choice of boat size and location. The boats are fully equipped with all the essential mod cons including central heating, hot water, TV, DVD players, showers and flushing toilets.

Visitors will be able to enjoy the spectacle of Viking re-enactments, admire the historic vehicles and meet the animals in pets’ corner. There will also be live music, craft stalls, a real ale tent and children’s rides. Narrowboats from across the country will gather for the event.

With an average of over one accidental boat fire a week, planning for a fire emergency should be something every boater does.

Volunteers have already notched-up over 20,000 volunteer days on British Waterways’ canals and rivers this year, despite only being at the mid-way point of the organisation’s recording year. This smashes the previous year’s interim results and shows that British Waterways is well on the way to beating the 2010/11 total number of volunteer days of 24,000.

After a relatively mild start to winter, the organisation that cares for the nation’s canals and rivers is urging people to be alert to the dangers of icy waterways now that freezing conditions are upon us.

The Government response clarifies a number of technical aspects related to the Transfer Order, and confirms that the new Trust will be subject to the Freedom of Information Act for those statutory functions which it inherits from British Waterways.

The Ramblers Festival of Winter Walks is a series of walks led by Ramblers volunteers, chosen to showcase Britain at its wintry best. The events are taking place between 24 December 2011 and 2 January 2012.