BOATERS on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal should find navigation easier thanks to the completion of a six-week dredging programme by Glandŵr Cymru, the Canal and River Trust in Wales.
The work saw in the region of 300 tonnes of sediment removed from four different locations along the canal. It is part of a comprehensive programme of maintenance.
The dredging has improved the depth in the canal at Llangattock, Talybont, Pencelli and Brynich, while also benefiting boats mooring in these areas and using nearby winding holes – the area of a canal used by boats for turning around.
Paul Fox, senior project manager at Glandŵr Cymru, said: “We identified from boaters’ feedback and our surveys that dredging these sections was a high priority, so we are delighted to have made these improvements. Dredging is part of the maintenance we carry out to keep canals open and available, and boaters will benefit from better navigation and easier mooring.
“The Mon and Brec is such a key feature of the stunning Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. As a charity we are doing what we can, fighting the challenges of the age of the canal and the impact of climate change, to keep the canal alive for boaters and the local communities it runs through for years to come.”
The canal, which has been in existence for over 200 years, is popular today with boaters and holiday hire companies and contributes £17 million a year to the local economy. Dredging is an important part of the Canal and River Trust’s work across its 2000 miles of waterways, costing £8m a year.
This winter, Glandŵr Cymru is delivering a series of maintenance improvements to the canal as part of the charity’s annual winter works programme which includes making repairs at Brecon Basin, Llanfoist Embankment, Llanover and Llangattock.
