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All closures / Why they close / Pollution Incident
Pollution Incident
Too few unplanned closures filed this way in June to August 2026 and the same months a year earlier to tell a change from luck: 2 against 0. How a change is tested.
- On record
- 16 closures since May 2025
In force today
No closure filed this way is in force today.
By canal
13 canals have had a closure filed this way. A closure naming two canals counts on both.
| Canal | Closures |
|---|---|
| Grand Union Canal | 3 |
| Wyrley & Essington Canal | 2 |
| Aylesbury Arm (Grand Union Canal) | 1 |
| Birmingham & Fazeley Canal | 1 |
| Bradley Arm (Old Main Line) | 1 |
| Bugsworth Arm (Peak Forest Canal) | 1 |
| Calder & Hebble Navigation | 1 |
| Caldon Canal | 1 |
| Chesterfield Canal | 1 |
| Liverpool Link | 1 |
| Ripon Canal | 1 |
| Stourbridge Canal | 1 |
Show 1 moreShow fewer
| Canal | Closures |
|---|---|
| Walsall Canal | 1 |
Every closure on record
Showing 16 closures CRT filed as “Pollution Incident”.
Rank by
Population
2 closures are in neither group: 2 unplanned with no day in the cruising season since May 2025.
Status
Duration
Cause
Asset affected
Water problem
Unplanned failures naming one
CRT reason
Region
What these figures mean
- Population
- Which closures a figure counts. All closures is everything; Unplanned closure drops the works CRT flags as its winter programme and any day outside the cruising season (the Friday nearest 15 March to the Sunday before the first Monday in November). Scheduled work CRT does not flag as winter works still counts here. CRT Planned closure is the flagged winter programme alone.
- Defensible duration
- The days between a closure's start and its reopening date, counted only where the dates allow it. A cancelled notice, or one whose reopening precedes its start, has no defensible duration and is in no total.
- Closure-days
- One day on which one closure was in force. Two closures on the same day are two closure-days; where the question is how long a canal was actually disrupted, overlapping notices are unioned into single intervals. They are counted from 1 May 2025, when this archive begins: a closure that started earlier adds only its days since then, though its own row shows its whole length. Every figure and chart counts only the days inside the Period chosen above them.
- In force
- A closure is in a Period, and a day is one a closure affected, if it was in force at any time that day, including the morning it reopened. Closure-days measure how long, so they count whole days and not the reopening day: a closure can be in a Period and add no closure-day to it.
Closures in force each month
closures active during the monthCanals ranked by the season's closures
share of the period's cruising-season days up to today — a closure somewhere on a long canal is likelier, and does not mean the canal was impassableclosures in force on the period's cruising-season days — a longer canal has more to go wrong onWhere
closure-days by regionclosures by regionA region with more canal has more to go wrong on, so these totals partly measure its size. Regions compared by length of canal are on the Reliability page.
What causes them
closure-days by causeclosures by causeWhat fails
closure-days by assetclosures by assetWhat fails on a lock
closure-days by part — unplanned lock failures naming a partclosures by part — unplanned lock failures naming a partHow long they last
closures by full length, including any days before May 2025 — the bands are not equal in widthClosures
Tame Valley No 1 Bridge to Birchills Junction, including Walsall Lock Flight
Walsall CanalWest Midlands
308 days
From 1 August 2024
Reopened 5 June 2025
35 of them since this archive began on 1 May 2025
- Where
- Tame Valley No 1 Bridge, Ocker Hill to Birchills Junction Bridge
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Pollution
- Asset
- Canal or river
After being closed since August 2024, we are planning to reopen the Walsall Canal to boaters on Thursday 5th June. The towpath remains open for walkers and cyclists. The canal has been dredged to remove cyanide-contaminated silt, further reducing risks to wildlife and supporting…
Latest of 3 CRT updates, 30 May 2025.
Pollution Incident spanning Pudding Dyke Bridge to Dog Kennel Bridge
Chesterfield CanalYorkshire and North East
200 days
From 31 October 2025
Reopened 19 May 2026
- Where
- Bridge 34, Thorpe Pudding Dyke Bridge to Bridge 31, Kiveton Dog Kennel Bridge
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Pollution
- Asset
- Canal or river
Contractors have visited site and removed all of the containment methods, the navigation is now open for use as normal.
Latest of 10 CRT updates, 19 May 2026.
Liverpool Link
Liverpool LinkNorth West
78 days
From 23 April 2026
Reopened 10 July 2026
- Where
- Bascule Bridge - Stanley to Mann Island Lock
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Pollution
- Asset
- Canal or river
The Liverpool Link remains closed to navigation following the identification of a suspected blue-green algae bloom in Princes Dock. Additional water samples have been taken, and we are currently awaiting the results of laboratory testing. As a precaution, steps are being taken…
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 26 June 2026.
Between Pratts Mill Bridge and Hildicks Bridge
Wyrley & Essington CanalWest Midlands
17 days
From 13 March 2026
Reopened 30 March 2026
- Where
- Pratts Mill Bridge, Bloxwich Road to Hildicks Bridge
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Pollution
- Asset
- Canal or river
Navigation on the Wyrley & Essington Canal, between Pratts Mill Bridge and Hildicks Bridge, will remain closed while our teams work to contain an ongoing oil pollution incident. Extra containment booms have been added along the canal to help limit the spread of the pollution. We…
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 17 March 2026.
Stourton Top Lock to Wordsley Junction, Stourbridge
Stourbridge CanalWest Midlands
7 days
From 3 March 2026
Reopened 10 March 2026
- Where
- Stourton Lock 1 (Top Lock) to Wordsley Jct Bridge, Stourbridge
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Pollution
- Asset
- Canal or river
Navigation remains closed between Stourton Top Lock and Wordsley Junction while Severn Trent continues to carry out clean-up and remediation work. These operations will continue over the weekend as efforts to improve water quality progress. Ammonia levels within the canal are…
Latest of 3 CRT updates, 6 March 2026.
Oxclose Lock - Reopened
Ripon CanalYorkshire and North East
7 days
From 20 March 2026
Reopened 27 March 2026
CRT's title says reopened
- Where
- Lock 3, Oxclose Lock
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Pollution
- Asset
- Lock
The booms have been removed and a reed clearance and pollution clean up from the spill has been carried out by Third Party Contractors. Oxclose Lock is now open for passage.
Latest of 3 CRT updates, 27 March 2026.
Below Bridge 176, Springwell Lane
Grand Union CanalLondon and South East
5 days
From 16 August 2026
Reopened 21 August 2026
- Where
- Lock 83, Springwell Lock to Bridge 176C (Sewer Pipe)
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Pollution
- Asset
- Canal or river
Addler and Allan will be on site this morning, 21/08/26, to finalise the clean up. This will hopefully allow the canal to be reopened this afternoon, withstanding any unforeseen complications.
Latest of 5 CRT updates, 21 August 2026.
Pelsall works bridge to Freeth bridge
Wyrley & Essington CanalWest Midlands
4 days
From 4 May 2026
Reopened 8 May 2026
- Where
- Freeth Bridge, Fishley to Pelsall Works Bridge
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Pollution
- Asset
- Canal or river
The pollution incident is ongoing and is currently being investigated by our team. Navigation remains closed at this location while the investigation is underway. A further update will be provided by the end of the week.
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 5 May 2026.
Inshaw Basin to Chelston Road Wharf Bridge, Aston
Birmingham & Fazeley CanalWest Midlands
3 days
From 12 September 2025
Reopened 15 September 2025
- Where
- Inshaw Basin to Chelston Road Wharf Bridge
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Pollution
- Asset
- Canal or river
Due to an HGV collision near Chelston Road Wharf Bridge, a large amount of diesel has entered the canal. West Midlands Fire Service is currently managing the incident. Navigation at Aston Lock Flight is already closeddue to low water levels. We remind all boaters to refrain from…
CRT's only update, 12 September 2025.
between footbridge 69 and bridge 70A Wolverton
Grand Union CanalLondon and South East
1 day
From 24 May 2025
Reopened 25 May 2025
- Where
- Bridge 69, Footbridge to Bridge 70 (Railway)
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Pollution
- Asset
- Canal or river
Due to an oil spillage that has contaminated the canal we have closed navigation between these two points. Contractors have been called to assist us with cleaning the contaminants. Booms are being used across the water to isolate any further movement.
CRT's only update, 24 May 2025.
Deepfields Junction Bridge to Gas Pipe Bridge, Blue Button Weir
Bradley Arm (Old Main Line)West Midlands
1 day
From 12 April 2026
Reopened 13 April 2026
- Where
- Deepfields Junction Bridge to Gas Pipe Bridge Near Blue Button Weir
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Pollution
- Asset
- Canal or river
Due to a significant factory fire in the vicinity of Deepfields Road Bridge, the navigation has been closed. Run off water from the fire ground is entering the canal via surface water discharge outlets,resulting in pollution within the affected area. A substantial amount of coal…
CRT's only update, 12 April 2026.
Bugsworth Arm
Bugsworth Arm (Peak Forest Canal)North West
same day
From 3 October 2025
Reopened 3 October 2025
- Where
- Bridge 56
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Pollution
- Asset
- Canal or river
Due to a pollution incident at Bridge 56, navigation is closed on the Bugsworth Arm whilst our teams continue to clean the polluted area, working closely with the Environment Agency. Booms and pads placed within the canal to contain the pollution. A further update will be…
CRT's only update, 3 October 2025.
Between locks 54 - 53 Berkhamsted
Grand Union CanalLondon and South East
same day
From 22 December 2025
Reopened 22 December 2025
- Where
- Lock 53 to Lock 54
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Pollution
- Asset
- Canal or river
The team have attended and the navigation has now been re-opened. Thank you for your patience.
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 22 December 2025.
Between Lock 13 (Cheddleton Top Lock) and Bridge 44 (Basford Lane Bridge)
Caldon CanalWest Midlands
same day
From 20 May 2026
Reopened 20 May 2026
- Where
- Lock 13 Cheddleton Top Lock to Bridge 44, Basford Lane Bridge
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Pollution
- Asset
- Canal or river
Please be advised that the navigation is currently closed on the Caldon Canal between Cheddleton Lock 13 and Bridge 44, Basford Lane Bridge due to an oil spill. We have temporarily closed the canal in this location to allow our teams to assess the situation and carry out the…
CRT's only update, 20 May 2026.
Lock 14 to the Basin
Aylesbury Arm (Grand Union Canal)London and South East
same day
From 10 July 2026
Reopened 10 July 2026
- Where
- Lock 14 to Weir, Basin
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Other cause
- Asset
- Canal or river
Following an assessment by our Operations and Environmental teams this has been found to be a natural bio film, and we are pleased to advise the navigation is now open
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 10 July 2026.
Top lock at Brighouse Basin is closed due to a pollution incident
Calder & Hebble NavigationYorkshire and North East
same day
From 25 September 2026
Reopened 25 September 2026
- Where
- Lock 11, Brighouse Top
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Pollution
- Asset
- Canal or river
Brighouse Top Lock will been closed due to a pollution incident. A powder fire extinguisher has been found in the canal causing a white powdery film affect in the water. This can harmful be to wildlife and the ecology should it get into the river. Our Ecology Team will be…
CRT's only update, 25 September 2026.
Showing the 16 longest of 16. Every row links to the notice CRT published.
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