Where's the Water Gone?

Fiddlers Ferry Yacht Marina runs dry - by Colin Greenall

On Thursday 11th June the water level at Fiddlers Ferry Marina began to fall due to the fact that Fiddlers Ferry Power station had stopped pumping water into the canal because of a water quality issue. The matter was investigated by Warrington Rangers and considered not to be a problem as this often occurs when the supply is turned off for maintenance purposes.

However it appears that the situation changed dramatically over the weekend and the yacht marina drained completely leaving boats high and dry and in some cases lying at dangerous angles (left: Dan Cross's pic of the boats) and only the prompt action of boat owners and the harbour master prevented serious damage to the craft.

The cause of the leakage is said to have been through the lock gates (below) which have for some time been a cause for concern due to the lack of maintenance on the part of the owners of the marina, Warrington Borough Council.

What is puzzling is what happened over the weekend because the incident was not reported until the morning of Monday 15th June. Usually the sign of the slightest drop in water level results in calls to the council and rangers office. This time, none were forthcoming.

By Tuesday evening when I went down to have a look at the marina the water level was beginning to rise and boats were floating again, the ducks and swans with their chicks and cygnets seemed non the worse for their experience and were getting their lives back to something like normal.

The lock gates, which are said to be in need of repair, had a weighted tarpaulin roped to the back of them in an attempted to seal the leak. If the gate are in need of repair and from all accounts this would appear to be the case then the council should make the effort and carry out the work before they get themselves lumbered with claims for damages from disgruntled boat owners.

Warrington BC is a present in the process of having a recreation survey carried out to ascertain the potential of the canal, this must surely be a wake-up call to them to try and get this vital part of the canal back into good order.

The Fidler's Ferry Fiasco

Peter Keen makes a few salient points on the debacle

A recent issue of Canal Cuttings displayed photographs of the renovation work at Fidlers Ferry, carried out by Warrington B.C. in the early 1970s. These had been kindly donated by Mr. E. Hall. The Sankey Brook once provided the bulk of the water for the canal below Hulme, but its waters have been diverted away from the canal, and are not available to supply the waterway. A sparse supply comes from the Callands Brook below Bewsey Lock, but this is insufficient to provide enough water to maintain levels for the marinas at Fidlers Ferry and Widnes, with their additional requirements for lock movements. Instead, some of the water drawn from the Mersey by the Power Station for its cooling system is pumped into the Canal, with a bund beside the old station swing bridge keeping the river water from backing up the canal, with possible contamination issues.

Fidlers Ferry Yacht Marina forms a safe haven for about 50 boats, allowing them to be moored in still water away from the tidal flow and strong currents of the River Mersey, which passes a short distance away, parallel to the canal. The marina is isolated from the rest of the canal by two bunds or walls built across the canal's course, designed to ensure that, whatever happens to the main canal channel the marina will retain its water levels.

In mid-June, boat owners at Fidlers Ferry were dismayed to find that the water level in their marina was rapidly falling. For years now the lock gates into the Mersey have leaked, releasing copious quantities of precious canal water. This has not previously been a problem since the power station regularly topped up the supply. This time however it had ceased pumping operations in order to clean pipe-work so no water was flowing into the marina. The gates could not be closed properly because of the build up of silt, added to which was the ill fitting seal between lock gates and lock wall which simply compounded the problem.

As the water ebbed away the captive boats gradually came to rest on the canal bed, one or two listing to one side but fortunately none capsizing completely. All vessels are designed so that their weight is supported by the water in which they float so the larger ones were having some strain imposed upon their hulls.

The fish soon found themselves confined to muddy puddles and the few remaining pools of water, and boat owners spent much time squelching through the mud to rescue them and carry them to the section of canal which was still in water. Local Rangers were also on site checking and assisting other wildlife, mainly birds, if they were found to be in distress. The marina's Harbour Master was soon in contact with the power station requesting help. This was quickly forthcoming and the water levels were gradually improved, although marks indicated that they were about a foot below normal some days later.

As with all waterways, what happens in one part can have an impact upon another, perhaps many miles away. In this case, the water which enters the canal from the power station then flows westwards to maintain water levels in the canal within the Halton Borough boundary where more restoration work is intended and there are further moorings, this time for the West Bank Boat Club. In this instance the bunds at Fidlers Ferry served the purpose intended and were able to maintain downstream water levels so the moorings at Spike Island were not affected, and the Bewsey to Fidlers Ferry section was not drained.

Thanks to the prompt actions of the Fidlers Ferry boat owners and the Ranger Service the disaster was not as bad as it could have been but it clearly indicated the need for attention to the lock gates. It is also a warning that before the Power station does eventually close an alternative water supply will have to be found. Otherwise two boat marinas and an active boat repair yard will cease to exist as their moorings revert to dry land as they were in 1760.

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