Britain’s canal and river network is facing growing disruption, with the number of long-term navigation closures increasing by 40% since late 2025, according to new analysis from the IWA.
IWA’s Waterway Risk Index, launched in November 2025, initially recorded 15 indefinite stoppages across the network. This new assessment identifies 21 indefinite stoppages, defined as a closure that has been in place for more than 30 days without a published reopening date, excluding planned maintenance works.
The findings show emerging trends in long-term interruptions to navigation across Britain’s 5,000 miles of navigable canals and rivers and comes against a backdrop of mounting pressures on the inland waterways network, including ageing infrastructure, under-investment, flooding, drought, and the increasing impacts of climate change.
Key findings
- The number of indefinite stoppages has increased from 15 to 21 since November 2025, a rise of 40%.
- The East of England and North West England appear to be among the regions most prone to network interruptions.
- Some closures have remained unresolved for many years, with Welches Dam remaining closed to navigation since 2004.
Britain’s waterways provide significant public benefits to millions of people, supporting recreation, tourism, nature recovery and local economies. The network also supports more than 300,000 jobs through associated marine, tourism and leisure activity.
However, these benefits depend on waterways remaining open and connected. With additional data now gathered, IWA says early patterns are beginning to emerge, with the East of England and North West among the areas showing higher levels of disruption.
IWA is calling for transparency around closures from navigation authorities who should publish clear reopening plans wherever possible and provide regular updates on progress towards restoring navigation.
While many stoppages are due to unavoidable circumstances such as extreme weather events or infrastructure failures, prolonged closures can have significant consequences for navigation, tourism and local businesses.
The latest findings build upon IWA’s wider research into risks facing Britain’s inland waterways. In November 2025, IWA published the first national assessment combining climate risk, including drought and flooding, as well as financial resilience across the network. It found that most waterways face increasing exposure to heavier winter rainfall and drought conditions, while many navigation authorities are operating under significant financial pressure.
Taken together, campaigners argue that infrastructure challenges, climate impacts and under-investment increase the risk of further interruptions unless investment and maintenance are prioritised.
Lord German, Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Waterways, said:
“Canals are green corridors for nature, reconnecting habitats and providing enormous benefits for our health and well-being, but closures threaten all of this.
“My beloved local canal is the Monmouthshire, Brecon and Abergavenny Canal, which is often affected by low water levels. These closures impact a wide range of local businesses, so this is timely work from IWA.”
Charlie Norman, IWA’s Director of Campaigns and Public Affairs, said:
“We have been monitoring all risks to the network since late last year and have identified an upward trend in indefinite stoppages.
“We cannot allow a policy of failing to repair waterways infrastructure as it becomes inoperable. Often, stoppages are unavoidable and understandable, but we are doing this work to spot trends and pressure authorities to act swiftly.
“Our waterways only work properly when they operate as a connected network. Nobody else is undertaking this type of national monitoring and the Risk Index gives us a baseline from which to measure future changes.
“We want our waterways to thrive for us today as well as for future generations. Neglect and under-investment are avoidable, and our Risk Index helps us keep ahead of both.”
