The UK’s Canal & River Trust completed more than £55m of major infrastructure projects and spent about £29m upgrading reservoirs during 2025/26, according to its latest annual report.
The charity also removed more than 75,000 tonnes of material through dredging and completed 137 large-scale winter maintenance projects. Investment covered vegetation management, lock repairs and customer facilities.
Despite the UK’s warmest and sunniest year on record and driest spring since 1974, more than 80% of the 2,000-mile network remained fully open. The Trust estimated 881m visits during the year.
The year was dominated by drought, which restricted water supplies and increased pressure on canals, reservoirs and wildlife. A breach on the Llangollen Canal at Whitchurch in December required teams to rescue stranded boats, secure water supplies and begin rebuilding work.
Dry conditions continued beyond the reporting period. The trust said another drought in 2026 marked the third major drought in five years, strengthening the case for canals to be treated as water-management infrastructure as well as heritage and leisure assets.
Long-term resilience
Donations and legacies reached a record £10.3m, regular supporters increased to 38,355 and volunteers contributed 776,242 hours. The trust also secured £6.5m from Defra for projects intended to improve long-term resilience.
The Welsh Government separately agreed to contribute towards higher water-supply costs for the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal over five years.
David Orr, chair of the Trust, said: “This was a challenging year for our waterways, with drought placing enormous pressure on canals, reservoirs, wildlife and the people who depend on them.”
He added: “It underlines both the scale of the challenge we face and the growing importance of canals in supporting nature, communities and contributing uniquely to the country’s water resilience.”
