Emergency Drought Appeal

Aim

Help us protect our canals through drought and build a more resilient future.

What is happening?

At the end of July, a drought was declared for over half of England and all of Wales, with the Environmental Agency calling this a ‘flash drought’ caused by low rainfall and higher temperatures. On our canal network this has seen reservoir levels, river levels and canal feeders reduce, and temporary restrictions or closures of locks brought in to help manage canal water levels. 

We’ve activated our highest level of operational response and are redirecting as much resource as possible towards projects that help conserve water. This is our top priority, but we need your help. 

We know we can't fix everything at once, so we are focusing on projects and repairs that help retain water & save wildlife in danger. We can't solve drought, but we can help mitigate its effects, and your support would go towards these efforts.

Our canals face a perfect storm of extreme weather, expensive repairs and shrinking government support, and we need your support to help power our teams as they respond to protect our canals, save water, and rescue wildlife in danger. 

How are we responding?

Repairing lock gates 

Alongside day-to-day water management, we are changing how we prioritise work across the network. We know we can't fix everything at once, so we are focusing resources on projects and repairs that help retain water and support navigation.

We're continuing to replace worn lock gates, repair leaks, and ensure back pumps are operating effectively to recycle water back up lock flights. In Stoke Bruerne, for example, we’re replacing and bracing the heel post at Lock 19, along with carrying out any additional repairs identified while the lock is out of service.   

Fixing leaks and retaining water 

Most water lost from man-made canals is through leaks via the canal bed and banks. Our 200-year-old, clay-lined canals aren’t 100% watertight and sadly we can’t fix every leak, but we're prioritising the biggest leaks that threaten the infrastructure and that have the biggest impact on navigation.  

Additionally, we’re making repairs to help our canals retain more water. For example, in West London, volunteers are doing amazing work in helping us restore the disused side ponds at Hanwell Flight, which could help us make better future use of increasingly precious water resources. 

Wildlife rescues

Across our network, we’re monitoring low water levels and assessing the need to rescue marine wildlife from dangerous conditions caused by the drought. In Leicester, for example, where low water levels are putting wildlife at risk in the Grand Union Canal. 

With water levels being so low, dissolved oxygen levels in the canal are starting to drop, putting species like perch, roach, bream and chub in danger. In response, we're closely monitoring oxygen levels, and are ready to deploy specialist teams to rescue and relocate marine wildlife to safer parts of the network.

Improving Resilience 

Alongside managing the immediate situation, we remain committed to improving the resilience of the canal network through targeted investment in infrastructure, reducing water loss where possible, improving our ability to move water around the network and ensuring the waterways can continue to provide benefits for boating and wildlife, and are part of our local communities for generations to come. This planning is taking place as a matter of urgency.

How you can help 

This isn’t normal. Drought status has been declared in three of the last five years, and extreme temperatures are having a drastic impact on our canals and the species that depend on them. We're responding rapidly to conserve water, repair infrastructure and save wildlife, but we need your help to protect and improve the resilience of the canal network.  

That’s why we’re asking the public to donate today and help us respond to this drought: 

• £18 could go towards  supporting specialist teams to monitor, rescue and relocate wildlife affected by low water levels. 
• £22 could go towards  repairing leaks and lock gates, that helps to conserve water 
• £35 could go towards projects that strengthen the resilience of the canal network for the future. 

Your support will help our teams perform crucial works needed to help conserve water, repair leaks and protect wildlife during this increasingly challenging period. 

Please donate today and help us protect our canals through drought and build a more resilient future.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 7th September 2026 at 12:00pm