New Boost for Lancaster Canal Dredging Program

Over 15,000 tonnes of silt is set to be dredged from the Ribble Link and parts of the Lancaster Canal near Preston, the Canal & River Trust just announced.

Around £750,000 is being spent to improve the canal for the benefit of all users making it easier for boaters to navigate along the popular routes and improving the habitat for fishermen and wildlife, the Trust said.

Mark Weatherall, the Trust senior project manager, said: “The Lancaster Canal and Ribble Link are extremely popular with thousands of boaters, fishermen and walkers visiting the waterways every year. The dredging work is much needed and will open up the canal channel and improve water quality which will benefit all canal users, wildlife and the environment.

“We plan to recycle as much of the silt as possible to agricultural land which has the benefit of being both environmentally friendly and more cost effective than landfill, this enables the Trust to do more dredging for the same money.”

Using floating dredgers, silt and debris which has built up throughout the canal corridor over many years, will be removed. Once dredged, most of the silt will be recycled to benefit agricultural land alongside the canal.

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