More investment needed as damage to canals and waterways revealed following busy, dry summer
More investment needed as damage to canals and waterways revealed following busy, dry summer
The UK’s canal network is at risk of falling into major disrepair, and urgent investment is needed to help protect and maintain the important transport infrastructure.
The call comes from leading waterways contractor and marine plant hire specialist, The Rothen Group. It follows on from an exceptionally dry spring and summer that saw water levels in the network dip, causing embankments, piles, and wash walls to fail and slip into the canals. Early in September, The Canal & River Trust reported that a ‘massive winter stoppage programme’ would be needed, with a multi-million pound undertaking needed to repair various spots on historic routes.
Alongside climate-driven maintenance issues, a rise in boaters has also contributed to the canal network’s problems. According to the Canal & River Trust’s National Boat Count 2025, boat numbers have increased by 1.5%, with a total of 33,080 vessels now on UK’s waterways network. The number of unlicensed boats has increased too, from 8.2% in 2024 to 9.9% this year.
With more users on the waters, The Rothen Group has seen an increase in damages to the canal’s infrastructure, having attended to 13 separate repair issues itself over summer 2025. These include boats and vehicles striking overhead bridges, lock gates, beams, gate heel posts, and also lock gates being lifted out of their cups.
Ian Rothen, Managing Director at The Rothen Group, said:
“Boating on our canal networks is showing no sign of slowing down. This has been partly driven by the cost-of-living crisis, as more people have taken to life on the water, and it has become a popular staycation choice too, with people looking to experience the scenic routes that Britain’s waterways have to offer.
“However, while it’s great to see the community grow, it is also putting pressure on our canal system. It’s evident that more money is required for upkeep of the infrastructure, and we urge the government to increase funding to ensure our famous canals do not crumble.”
To not compound the issues and ensure that damage and accidents are limited, The Rothen Group is urging the boating population to be vigilant when navigating around canals. This includes ensuring lock gates and paddles – which are the valves that control the flow of water to lift boats up and down canals – are closed properly.
Ian continued:
“Our waterways networks are a brilliant feature of our country, and we must all do our bit to help preserve them. We have our engineers and specialist plant all around the UK supporting the Canal & River Trust with their maintenance programmes. While we need more investment, it’s also imperative that public and commercial users help look after the network too, as if not, there could be all sorts of issues in future, from flooding to environmental damage.”
