| Basingstoke Canal dries up during drought - ongoing issue and discussion Posted by CyclingSid at 17:14, 5th September 2025 |     |
Similar water problems on the Basingstoke Canal
https://www.hants.gov.uk/thingstodo/basingstokecanal/onthewater/locks
It is a canal without a reliable source. It didn't look unusually dry a few weeks ago (reported elsewhere on the forum). I do remember a few years ago when the section near Woking was that dry that a heron was methodically picking the fish out of the remaining puddles.
| Basingstoke Canal dries up during drought - ongoing issue and discussion Posted by CyclingSid at 06:34, 29th July 2026 | |
Similar situation on Basingstoke Canal
https://www.facebook.com/basingstokecs/posts/pfbid02B999DJXrRJaqw4Mz6gAiL136ZJYjqdYqFJ4YN6MGo2muDYBCfd8rECSFT5TFLb7Ql
| Re: Basingstoke Canal dries up during drought - ongoing issue and discussion Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 15:52, 12th August 2026 | |
I have split off a couple of previous posts from another Coffee Shop forum topic, relating more particularly to the Grand Union Canal, so as to add this update here.
From the BBC:
Canal closes 17 locks as heatwave returns
The locks in Surrey which allow the canal to rise 100ft have been closed due to low water levels - Image © Adrian Dennis/Getty
A section of Basingstoke Canal has been closed after drought conditions and prolonged dry weather caused low water levels.
The Brookwood and Deepcut lock flights, between locks 12 and 28, have been shut until further notice by Hampshire County Council, which owns the canal jointly with Surrey County Council.
The closure affects 17 locks, including the Deepcut flight, where boats climb about 100ft (30.5m) over two miles (3.2km) to reach the canal's summit level.
Hampshire County Council has been approached for comment on the closure and how long restrictions are expected to remain in place.
The affected locks are usually only open three days a week to help preserve water but will remain closed for the foreseeable.
According to Inland Waterways Association, the canal has been short of water since it reopened in the early 1990s, and all the locks, except Ash Lock, are often closed for prolonged periods during the summer.
The Basingstoke canal begins in Woodham in Surrey and runs to Greywell in Hampshire. Around 32 miles (50.2km) of the waterway is navigable and there are a total of 29 locks along the route.
Surrey is among the counties officially in drought, with Wisley's weather station having gone more than 50 days without recording any rainfall.
Water restrictions are also in place with hosepipe bans across the county.
An amber heat health alert is in place for Surrey and south-east England until Friday evening to cover high and even extreme temperatures, up to a possible 37C (98.6F) by Thursday.
The locks in Surrey which allow the canal to rise 100ft have been closed due to low water levels - Image © Adrian Dennis/Getty
A section of Basingstoke Canal has been closed after drought conditions and prolonged dry weather caused low water levels.
The Brookwood and Deepcut lock flights, between locks 12 and 28, have been shut until further notice by Hampshire County Council, which owns the canal jointly with Surrey County Council.
The closure affects 17 locks, including the Deepcut flight, where boats climb about 100ft (30.5m) over two miles (3.2km) to reach the canal's summit level.
Hampshire County Council has been approached for comment on the closure and how long restrictions are expected to remain in place.
The affected locks are usually only open three days a week to help preserve water but will remain closed for the foreseeable.
According to Inland Waterways Association, the canal has been short of water since it reopened in the early 1990s, and all the locks, except Ash Lock, are often closed for prolonged periods during the summer.
The Basingstoke canal begins in Woodham in Surrey and runs to Greywell in Hampshire. Around 32 miles (50.2km) of the waterway is navigable and there are a total of 29 locks along the route.
Surrey is among the counties officially in drought, with Wisley's weather station having gone more than 50 days without recording any rainfall.
Water restrictions are also in place with hosepipe bans across the county.
An amber heat health alert is in place for Surrey and south-east England until Friday evening to cover high and even extreme temperatures, up to a possible 37C (98.6F) by Thursday.
