The first phase of the dredging works for the Levelling Up Fund project to restore a section of the Montgomery Canal has been completed, according to the Canal & River Trust (UK).
The section of the canal has not been navigable since the 1930s, and this phase of restoration aims to restore the channel so that navigation will eventually be possible.
The dredging work takes place during winter months, to avoid the bird nesting season. The emergent fringe has been left in shelves along the offside and towpath sides of the canal, so it will grow back in with the new season.
Phasing of the rest of the dredging gives the canal and its species time to recover, also giving the Canal & River Trust opportunities to protect the rarer aquatic species through collection and translocation.
Around £14 million of the Levelling Up funding has been secured towards the Montgomery Canal Restoration Programme.