Protect Fish in the Grantham Canal with a New Pump

Who are we?

The Grantham Canal Fish Conservation Society (GCFCS) is an angling club dedicated to the protection of fish stocks and habitats in the Grantham Canal.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Last summer, the loss of water in the Lady Bay section of the Grantham Canal caused innumerable fish mortalities and a tragic loss of habitat for ducks, swans and other wildlife.

This is a proposal to fund the installation of a pump which will enable a year-round supply of water for the canal to come from the River Trent.  We are working closely with the Environment Agency to find the best location for the pump.

Due to the culverts connecting the different sections of canal, water fed into the canal by the Environment Agency will raise and maintain a constant depth from along the entire distance between Trent Lock and Gamston Bridge, a mile to the south. This is a very simple solution to a serious threat to fish and other wildlife in this part of the Grantham Canal.

Unfortunately, the Grantham Canal is a remainder waterway and its owner, the Canal and Rivers Trust, simply don't have the funds to maintain it without public fund-raising. 

However, angling clubs are eligible to apply for grants from the Environment Agency to fund projects under the Fisheries Improvement Programme and we will be submitting a bid to this scheme. It will massively strengthen our case if we can show that the local community is fully behind it, and that many have donated to the cause.

                      No More Scenes Like This

As a sports organisation, we will also be applying to Sport England under their Active Together grant programme which also requires match funding from the local community. Sport England will start appraising our project when we have raised 25% of the requested amount.  

Please donate whatever you can afford, because when we reach a total of £2,500 Sport England will come on board, and they will be able to raise the total sum to £5,000.

How we’ll spend the money raised

We are aiming to raise as much as possible via this crowdfunding campaign before the Environment Agency grant submission deadline of 5th March 2023. The basic cost of the solar-powered pump will be £6,000, so this is the absolute minimum that we need to raise to make sure that the canal's water level isn't going to drop during another long period of dry weather.

This campaign aims to raise £6,000 before we even know the outcome of the grant application, and it is therefore a vital contingency in the event that the grant money doesn't come through. If the grant application is successful, and we find we have surplus funds at our disposal, the additional money can be invested in dredging the canal. 

In summary, we aim to raise £9,500 before the end of the campaign, comprising £6,000 for the pump and a further £3,500 to be spent on the following items:

1) a second-hand workboat with a small outboard:  £1,000

2) Re-stocking the canal with juvenile carp, tench and perch:  £750

3) An application of Siltex (fine soluble chalk to reduce the acidity of the water). This activates bacteria which feed on organic matter in the silt. : £1,350

The silt comprises 90% black sludge mainly derived from decaying leaf litter. Siltex is used to increase the alkalinity of water and a balanced pH allows sludge-eating bacteria to thrive. This should increase the depth of the canal, allowing it to better cope with long dry periods.

4) A cordless pond vacuum to remove decaying leaf litter from the bottom of the canal: £400

After these items, a dredging operation would be the next priority: £16,700 + vat (£20,040 inc VAT)  is estimated to be sufficient to cover the cost of removing the silt in the angling stretch of the canal to its original depth and profile.

How you can play your part

1. Donate. Please contribute as much as you can. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!

2. Get Involved. Send me a message by clicking on "Contact Project" and we can discuss how you can contribute as a volunteer. You can also message us through our Facebook page, The Grantham Canal Fish Conservation Society.

Community impact

As soon as the pump has been installed and the canal has been re-stocked, group "responsible angler" coaching sessions will be run by our club. These will be free of charge, and we expect the take-up from within the local community to be high. It will be an occasion to bring people together, learn new skills on an inter-generational basis, and provide people with a shared on-going interest in either fish habitat monitoring or just fishing in its traditional sense.

The Canal is a haven of peace and tranquillity which is appreciated by people from all parts of Nottingham. It is no coincidence that the stretches of the Grantham Canal which are maintained by Angling Clubs contrast dramatically in their upkeep when compared with 90% that has no Angling Club to look after it. 

When droughts cause distress to fish and other wildlife in the Canal at present, people are extremely concerned and feel powerless to intervene.  We will be able to train members to respond quickly to emergency situations and rescue fish in times of drought or water loss. Risk of this happening may continue to arise in stretches of the Canal which will not benefit from a new pump and we will be on hand to help with the relocation of fish to areas with a permanent supply of water.

Fully-grown fish are a great source of visual interest, and many people have childhood memories of trying to spot fish from a platform or a bridge: this is a timeless pleasure which parents and grandparents are very fond of sharing with future generations.

People also take immense satisfaction in spotting other wildlife in the canal: a wide range of ducks, swans, enormous dragonfly, herons and even a family of kingfishers are sightings which help improve the quality of life for nature lovers and local residents. Our project will increase the canal as walking route between Nottingham and the surrounding countryside, as well as being a destination in itself.