During the 1980s IWA’s former Restoration Committee began to publish a series of Information Notes on various subjects relevant to waterway restoration. Their purpose was to provide guidance and to prevent waterway groups wasting time and effort acquiring the basic information on an individual basis. Following a Government grant and three years of development, the Technical Restoration Handbook was completed, comprising 19 chapters on various topics.

The authors of the chapters come from a range of organisations and from professional and experienced people within IWA membership. Every chapter has been reviewed by at least two reviewers and amendments were made in the light of the comments provided. Further input and comment was then derived from the then Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) and Restoration Committee seminars.  Every care has been taken in the compilation and checking of the information contained in the handbooks.

However, the Association cannot accept any liability for the accuracy of the statements in the Handbook or omissions there from and readers are recommended to seek professional advice on specific proposals or problems, and some information will have become out-of-date since publication.  Many of the chapters are currently under review.

2.  Funding Waterway Restoration (updated Feb 2014)
3.  Financial Management & Reporting (updated Nov 2014)
4.  Use and Benefits of Waterways for Recreation (published Jan 1999)
5.  Waterside Properties (published Jan 1999)
6.  Some legal aspects of Restoration (updated Oct 2009)
7.  Waterway Societies and their Constitutions – the legal Perspective (published Jan 1999)
8.  Managing Consultancies on Inland Waterway Projects (reviewed and updated Apr 2006)
9.  Managing a dredging Contract (published Jan 1999)
10.  Choice of Restoration Methods – modern verses traditional materials (published Jan 2014)
11.  Leisure Facilities on the Towpath (published Jan 1999)
12.  Transport Crossings of Canals (published Mar 2017)
13.  Town & Country Planning for Beginners (updated Nov 2011)
14.  Public Inquiries – Presenting a Case (published Jan 1999)
15.  Wildlife Conservation  (Updated May 2016) – replaced by Joint Doc IWA/CRT on Environmental Framework
16.  The Impacts of Recreation (update 2015)
17.  Green Housekeeping (published Dec 2015)
    There is now a wealth of useful information and tips available on the internet to help waterway organisations to act in an environmentally-responsible and sustainable way. Being seen to be responsible regarding the impact we make on our local environment is part of building a good reputation with our local public. We have therefore decided to withdraw our ‘Green Housekeeping’ chapter and to encourage readers to review what they do, and to seek out good ideas from relevant websites
18. Publicity and Marketing Communications (published April 2013)
19. Policy Presentation and the Political Process (updated Dec 2015)
20. Museum, Visitor and Heritage Centres (published Jan 1999)
21. The Use of NEC: Engineering and Construction Contract (Oct 2003)
22. Water Management on Inland Waterways (Jan 2005)