Lock 83 to Lock 81, Rochdale Canal

Our contractor has now begun work on the permanent repair to the failed wash wall, the adjacent culvert and the damaged canal bed below Lock 81 on the Rochdale Canal.

The first stage of the work is to excavate around the damaged culvert so that engineers can fully assess the extent of the damage. Once this investigation is complete, the permanent repairs will begin.

The current programme of work is expected to take around 12 weeks, although this may change depending on what is uncovered during the investigation.

Our operational teams continue to carefully manage water levels downstream of the breach. The prolonged dry weather has reduced the amount of water flowing into the canal network, and water is also being lost through the dammed area, making water management particularly challenging. Our teams are working tirelessly to keep the levels from falling and if you notice any sudden changes to call our North West Customer Support Team on 03030 404040.

We will continue to monitor water levels closely. 

Our next update will be provided on 12 August 2026.

Discussions are still ongoing which will enable repairs to take place, however, there are still matters that need to be resolved before works can commence. As a result, the works remain on hold until permission has been granted.

We apologise for the continued delay and we thank customers for their patience.

As discussions remain ongoing, we anticipate providing a further update on or before Wednesday 29 July.

Since our previous update, discussions with the neighbouring landowner have continued regarding permission to access the site and carry out the required works from their land, therefore, our team is still unable to proceed with the necessary repairs.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience while these matters are being resolved.

As discussions are ongoing, we anticipate providing a further update regarding the commencement of works on or before Friday, 24 July.

Discussions are currently progressing with the neighbouring landowner to obtain permission to access the site and commence works from their land. Until such permission is granted, our team is unable to carry out the necessary repairs.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience while these matters are being resolved.

As discussions are ongoing, we anticipate providing a further update regarding the commencement of works on or before Friday 10 July.

We have undertaken further investigative works in preparation for our contractors commencing works on site. This has included a detailed assessment to ensure that all necessary groundwork is in place ahead of the essential repairs to the canal wash wall and canal bed to be carried out. Discussions are still ongoing with the neighbouring landowner to secure the required access to their land, which is necessary to enable these repair works to proceed.

A further update will be provided on or before Friday, 26 June.

We are currently in discussions with the neighbouring landowner to secure the necessary access to their land, which is required to undertake repairs to the canal wash wall and canal bed, A start date for the repair works will be confirmed once access arrangements have been agreed. A further update will be provided on or before Friday, 12 June.

We are continuing to work with the neighbouring land owner and once access agreements are in place we will be able to start the repairs to the canal bed and wash wall. Further updates will be provided on or before Friday 29th May

Our engineers have now finished their investigation and design works, and our contractors are in the final stages of preparing to attend site. We are working with the neighbouring land owner and once access agreements are in place will be able to start the repairs to the canal bed and wash wall. Further updates will be provided on or before Friday 15th May  

  We have undertaken a CCTV survey of the adjoining third-party assets and identified the main issue; we're now moving into the next stage of work and are preparing the plans and agreements needed to carry out more detailed on‑site investigations. Over the next couple of weeks, our engineers will be carrying out investigations that will include setting up the site to allow excavation work to take place.  These investigation works will enable our engineers to finalise the detailed design prior to undertaking the permanent repair work.   We will provide a further update on or before 4 May.

Our teams have been working hard to stabilise water levels along the affected section of the Rochdale Canal.  We have seen an encouraging improvement over the weekend and over next few days we expect water levels at New Islington Marina to normalise. Once levels are fully restored, our engineering teams will be able to get started on their detailed investigations. These investigations are thorough and will take several weeks to complete. Following this, we will be able to confirm a programme of repair works.   We'll provide a further update on or before 20 April 2026

Navigation remains closed between Lock 81 and Lock 82 on the Rochdale Canal following the failure of a temporary repair to a culvert. This has resulted in low water levels along this section of the canal, including New Islington Marina. Initial investigations have confirmed that the temporary repair failed due to a combination of factors. Our engineering teams are continuing to investigate these in detail, alongside identifying the requirements for a permanent repair. We understand how unsettling and disruptive reduced water levels can be for our customers. Please be assured that our priority is to protect affected boaters and to restore water levels as safely and quickly as possible. A strong focus remains on returning New Islington Marina to full water levels and improving conditions in the surrounding area. From today, our contractors will be on site to begin work to install temporary dams. These will stabilise the canal and prevent any further loss of water. Once the dam is securely in place, we will carry out a controlled refill of the canal. This process will take several days, but at this stage we expect water levels to begin to normalise by the weekend. In parallel with these immediate actions, the Trust's engineers are also working to confirm ownership of the land adjacent to the site, as liaison with the relevant landowners will be required to plan and deliver a long‑term, permanent repair. A further update will be provided on or before 13 April.

Our team and engineers have now carried out detailed inspections,and a leak has been identified below Lock 81. We are now planning a method of repair.   We will provide further update Friday 17 April

Thank you for your understanding and patience

Navigation will be closed between Lock 83 and Lock 81 on the Rochdale Canal to allow our teams and engineers to carry out a detailed inspection of a leak located below Lock 81, which has resulted in low water levels.

A further update will be provided on Friday 3 April, on or before 4 PM.

Please note that a separate notice is also in place for Locks 54 to 81 on the Rochdale Canal.