Environment
Though the canal corridor is limited to a relatively narrow strip of land, it manages to contain a surprising number of habitats, each supporting a different community of plants and animals. Almost every activity we undertake is related in some way to the environment of the waterways, and we have dedicated programmes to enhance the quality of the waterway environment.
We have started to make improvements to looking after our own natural and built environment by building on our Environmental Code of Practice, creating a more rigorous Environmental Management System.
- Wildlife Habitats and Species
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest
- Biodiversity Action Plan
- Water Quality
- Water Framework Directive
Wildlife Habitats and Species
A huge variety of species can be found in the waterway environment, from the tiniest of insects to birds such as herons and owls and from freshwater sponges to endangered water voles.
We encourage visitors to our canals and rivers to tell us what wildlife they spot through an annual national survey. Take part in 2008 National Wildlife Survey.
Find out about the wildlife on our waterways.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
We own or part own 66 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), 52 in England, five in Wales and nine in Scotland. These sites enjoy statutory protection and we also manage other locations identified as important for natural conservation. For more information about SSSIs in England visit www.naturalengland.org.uk, in Scotland visit www.snh.org.uk, and in Wales visit www.ccw.gov.uk.
Biodiversity Action Plan
We launched an innovative Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) in April 2006 for our entire waterway network which is integrated into our digital mapping system. This is a more sustainable process than producing hard copies and it allows us to evaluate and manage our assets in a consistent way across the waterways.
Water Quality
- Our canals, rivers and reservoirs are used by many people for all sorts of reasons, and it is important that they are clean, safe and are able to support healthy populations of fish and other wildlife.
- Our waterways are also used to supply water companies, industry and agriculture, where high standards of water quality is also important.
Canals can sometimes be perceived as dirty owing to the fine sediment that is in suspension in the water but this is the simple result of boats navigating in a shallow man made environment with little current. As canals generally have little flow they can be more sensitive to actual pollution, such as phosphates, which can encourage excessive growth of algae and water weeds, or contamination from urban drainage.
Water quality in all our English and Welsh waterways is regulated by the Environment Agency, and in our Scottish waterways by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. British Waterways work closely with these Agencies to ensure the quality of our water is protected, and improved where necessary.
Water Framework Directive
The EU Water Framework Directive is one of the most important piece of environmental legislation in recent years. It aims to promote the sustainable management of all waters, including canals. It will have a major role to play in influencing UK policy and legislation concerned with the use and protection of the water environment. It has the potential to have a major impact on the activities of British Waterways and other navigation authorities. For further details of how the Directive will affect inland waterways management, see www.aina.org.uk/work_programme/water_framework.html.
Links
- Environmental Policy (42KB PDF)