What has happened to the Rochdale Canal?

The Rochdale Canal from Deansgate

You may have noticed that the water in the Rochdale Canal running into Castlefield has all but disappeared. It seems that a combination of vandalism and an extremely dry spring and summer are to blame.

The Canal and River Trust who maintain our waterways have issued a statement:

“Our charity is dealing with the after-effects of people purposefully draining water from the Ashton Canal, and from lock 84 downwards on the Rochdale Canal. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time this has happened recently, and we’ve reported it to the police.

“Lock 91 has also been damaged, which means we cannot fill that pound until the repairs have been completed next week. On top of that we’re in a drought, which is having a serious impact on the reservoirs that supply water to our region’s canals.

“We’re working extremely hard to manage water levels in the area, and the canal above New Islington Marina is improving, but the lack of water is extremely challenging and means the situation can change very quickly.

“To help save water during these drought conditions, we’d like to remind people that the canal locks into Manchester remain temporarily closed to navigation. We’d also like to thank our boating customers, and our partners, for working with us and for their understanding.

"Our priority remains to reopen the canal as soon as we have enough rain to top up our reservoirs to sufficient levels."