A charity has been working to raise water levels along a stretch of canal in Leicestershire after reserves are thought to have been drained deliberately.
Water levels dropped in a matter of hours last weekend along the Grand Union Canal, off Welford Road, near Kilby Lock.
The Canal and River Trust believes it was a “deliberate act” in which the paddles, also known as sluices, within Kilby Lock were opened, “draining the water out of this section of the canal”.
A spokesperson added: “Boat movements are still restricted in that area due to the drought, so there would have been no legitimate reason for anyone to open the paddles.”
“Our teams have been working to raise the water levels, but the reservoirs that feed this section are still low so we don’t have a lot of water available.”
The environment is also a site of Special Scientific Interest, causing concern to the charity’s ecological and fisheries teams.
“We’re monitoring the situation carefully and we’ll continue to try and get water back in this section as quickly as we can,” they said.
“Despite recent rainfall, reservoirs feeding this section of canal are still low – so it’s incredibly frustrating to see precious water wasted in this way.
“Volunteers have been working tirelessly to try and manage water levels in the canal and it’s very difficult to see those efforts being undermined by a mindless minority,” they said.
“We’re doing everything we can, but those efforts will be for nothing if some people continue to abuse the canal in this way.”
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