I lost contact with the group for a bit, so this may be duplicated if so sorry.
It's the IWA report from yesterday. All the best, Martin Reed. _______________________________________ A 1.5-mile stretch of the Brecon and Abergavenny Canal in South Wales has drained following a breach today. British Waterways was notified during the morning of Wednesday 17th January that a culvert beneath the bed of the waterway had collapsed, allowing water to escape from the canal channel and run into the adjacent river Usk. BW engineers have been on site during the day investigating the nature of the culvert's failure and are beginning to assess the scale of engineering works necessary to return the waterway to its original state. In the meantime the canal and its towing path will remain closed between Bridge 122, two miles west of Llangattock, and Bridge 129, close to the village of Llangynidr. None of the boats that use the canal were affected by the sudden reduction in water levels. British Waterways is using waterside notices to inform local boaters of the closure and is contacting local waterside businesses to keep them up-to-date with information about the cause of the breach and expectations for its repair. British Waterways has previously said that, following the funding cuts, it has no spare budget for repairs if there were to be a major breach on its waterways over the winter. Until BW engineers have assessed the scale of the works needed to repair this breach, it is not clear how quickly repairs can be put in hand. The prompt repair of the canal will be vital to waterside businesses operating along the waterway. John Fletcher, IWA national chairman, took part in Radio Five Live's 'drivetime' programme yesterday (16th January) afternoon, and drew attention to the risks and adverse consequences of the Department's cuts in funding for British Waterways and the Environment Agency, pointing out the difficulties that could occur in the event of a breach such as this. There are photos of the breach, taken today, along with a copy of this report at: www.waterways.org.uk/News/OtherWaterwaysNews/Breach Come and cruise with Reed Boats www.reedboats.co.uk
