Maintenance work provides a major boost to Welsh canal

Glandŵr Cymru, the Canal & River Trust in Wales, has completed important maintenance on a stretch of the Montgomery Canal near Welshpool thanks to a grant from the Nature Networks Fund.

The £250,000 grant has enabled the UK’s largest canal charity to dredge one-and-a-half miles of canal, removing silt and overgrown vegetation, including many invasive species.

The work will improve water quality in the canal and is a boost for navigation, including for the Heulwen Trust, a charity that offers free trips along the canal on their adapted trip boat for those who are less abled.

The canal is well-known for its rare plant species, including floating water plantain such as Luronium Natans and grass-wrack pondweed Potamogeton Compressus, so by removing the overgrowing invasive species such as water soldier and silt to improve water quality and depth, it’ll help support the rare aquatic plant species.

Additional works are planned to prune overhanging trees that will reduce shadowing to further improve species diversity.

The funding from the Nature Networks Programme was delivered by the Heritage Fund on behalf of the Welsh Government.

Mark Weatherall, senior project manager at Glandŵr Cymru explained: “We are delighted that the work has improved navigation and provided a boost to ecologically important species. The canal continues to bring benefits for local people and biodiversity.

“The dredging team has removed approximately 840 tonnes of silt to improve the canal between Abbey Winding hole and Welshpool Marina.

“We have also been collecting samples of the rare canal flora, which can now be propagated and reintroduced to provide a further boost to the canal corridor.”

The funding has also allowed the installation of leaky dams, which is a natural type of flood management, that will help prevent silt entering the canal from nearby streams.

Access to nature at Newtown and Wern Claypits nature reserve, including repairs to the boardwalk, has also been improved and interpretation boards are being installed.

Gareth Thomas from The Heulwen Trust added: “We warmly welcome the completion of these vital works on the Montgomery Canal. This investment protects the future of our trips and the people who rely on them.

“By improving water quality and keeping the channel clear, the project ensures our adapted boat can continue to travel safely and smoothly along this beautiful stretch of canal.

“We are grateful to Glandŵr Cymru and the Nature Networks Fund for recognising how closely access and conservation go hand in hand. By strengthening the canal’s ecology and improving navigation, this work supports both the environment and the communities we serve.

“These enhancements will help us continue opening up the Montgomery Canal to those who need it most.”

To learn more about Glandŵr Cymru’s work, and to find out about how you can support through donations or volunteering, visit canalrivertrust.org.uk.