Trustees' Report and Accounts - Canal & River Trust

We are challenging and encouraging our
staff and volunteers to think beyond simply
protecting the natural environment, to look
at what we can do to improve it and keep
our waterways special. Since July 2012
we have delivered and recorded over 400
improvements including:
• Improving the quality of six Sites of
Special Scientific Interest
• Improving 4km of hedgerow, planting
2,000 new trees, installing 3,700m of new
soft bank protection, installing nest boxes
and bat roosts at 26 sites and improving
habitats at a further 76 sites across
England & Wales, providing vital wildlife
habitats and food sources
• Removing invasive plants from 27 sites
• Resolving 16 long-term water
quality problems
• Undertaking landscape improvements or
reducing litter and fly-tipping at 59 sites
One of the most pressing threats that we
face is that of climate change and we are
committed to adapting how we work to
protect our scarce resources.
In partnership with Open Energi, we have
installed electrical load balancing equipment
on a number of our pumping stations on
the Kennet & Avon Canal. This equipment,
working in conjunction with newly installed
Variable Speed Drives, enables the pumping
rate to be gradually increased or decreased,
thus increasing or decreasing energy
demand and helping the National Grid
balance energy needs.
We produced detailed water control
manuals, providing consistent and
straightforward advice for operational
staff, supervisors and engineers on how
water levels are managed at times of
drought and flood.
Our Green Plan aims to help the Trust
reduce energy use, reduce waste, use
sustainable resources and protect the
environment for canal users.
Between July 2012 and February 2013,
54,698 tonnes of waste material was
dredged from our canals, we managed to
recycle or reuse 39% of this waste that
would have previously gone to landfill.
Following a dredging operation on the
River Weaver we were able to provide
nearly 1,000 tonnes of river sand for use as
bulk fill for the building works taking place
at our adjacent Northwich development,
avoiding disposal and the need for new
material and reducing lorry movements to
and from the site.
Our work to improve three and a half
miles of Olympic Park waterways was
also judged to be ‘excellent’ by CEEQUAL,
the sustainability assessment and
awards scheme for civil engineering. We
achieved an outstanding score of 92%
for the regeneration works which included
dredging, removing rubbish, controlling
invasive plants, preventing soil erosion and
creating new wildlife habitats.
Below: Tree planting
Below: New wildlife habitats
alongside the Olympic waterways Below: Carp Bottom: Damselfly
Trustees’ Report & Accounts 13