An event to promote the use of local waterways and the resultant tourism and economic benefits had to be cancelled – because a lock was unusable.
Environment Agency officials have admitted to embarrassment over the silt issue at Fulney Lock on the River Welland in Spalding.
A cruise this month from Boston to Spalding, organised by Inland Waterways Association, was to have included four narrowboats, one Dutch barge-type boat and three river cruisers. Some vessels would have used the River Glen through Surfleet too.
A spokesman said: “IWA had planned to assemble a flotilla of up to eight boats which would moor in Spalding to demonstrate the unrealised potential for tourism and economic development that recreational boating returning to Spalding will bring when the Fens Waterways Link is completed.”
She added that a similar cruise planned in 2012 also failed for the same reason.
Irven Forbes, waterways manager at the Environment Agency, said: “It’s very unfortunate that the IWA cruise had to be cancelled, and we have written to the group to offer our apologies.
“Few boats use Fulney Lock and we would like to see more boats travelling through it on a regular basis. This would help disperse the build up of silt, which accumulates at Fulney Lock both from the flow of the river and when the tides are high.
“We inspected the lock earlier this year and found that it was usable, but very high spring tides may have contributed to additional silt build-up since then.
“We will carry out de-silting work in the autumn, when it’s less likely to endanger fish populations, and in the meantime we are considering how we can make our ‘flushing’ regime more effective so boaters can continue to use the route.”
IWA national chairman Les Etheridge said the charity wants to see all parts of the EA network restored to working order as soon as possible and adequate funding to keep them operational.
