Save Grantham Canal: Urgent Fundraising Campaign

0:00On March 3rd, a fundraising campaign is underway to bring water levels back up in a stretch of the Grantham Canal between Hickling and Canalton. Over the past year, extremely low levels have hit this section, mainly because thick reeds and vegetation are blocking the flow from the smite feeder. Organizers have lined up a specialist contractor, with a long-reach excavator to clear a 4 meter wide channel right down the middle of the canal. This will speed a water movement and create better habitats for fish, birds, dragonflies and other wildlife, with reeds pulled out and stacked along. The banks. Local campaigners point to drier, hotter summers as a big factor in the low water, raising worries that things could get worse without help. This part of the canal sits disconnected from the main network, so it gets little funding from the canal and river trust or government, leaving it, clogged and run down. On the initial clearance, more reed removal is planned through Canalton, and volunteers are tackling leaks, optimizing feeds from reservoirs like smite and nipton and better managing

1:04slewskates. The group stresses that steady maintenance is key to keeping this local gem alive for walking, cycling, fishing and wildlife, and they're calling on. Residents to chip in with donations or volunteer time to make it last.