The dredging works have been completed on a four-mile section of the Shropshire Union Canal between Salmons Bridge and Hoole Lane Lock, creating a 6.7 meter wide and 1.35 meter deep channel.
“ We have removed over 7,000 tonnes of silt from this area to make the canal easier for boaters to cruise along ,” announced the Canal and River Trust.
“ Dredging is a vital part of our work to keep the waterways clear for the thousands of boats on them. Dredging also has a positive impact on the water quality and the flora and fauna, which are so popular with people visiting the waterways ,” they added.
Project manager Mark Weatherall said: “ Dredging the canal system is part of our routine maintenance program to ensure that the waterways are kept in good working order for the many boats that use them every day.”
“Wherever possible we seek to make good use of the material we dredge, for example as protection for the canal banks. In this case the silt has been spread on farmland at nearby Christleton, saving 413 lorry journeys and over £200,000 in landfill and transport costs.”
Work began mid-November and it will help to keep the channel clear for the next 15–20 years.
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Source: Canal and River Trust