Watch-out—reed beds about

BOATERS using the Lee Navigation should watch-out for floating reed beds that are at present being installed in the waterway.

Though well proved to be a rather stupid idea, as those planted on the restored Rochdale Canal lasted only a few weeks, we are told they will reduce pollution!

Very limited life

It is another scheme by the self-styled environment charity Thames 21, whose people obviously do not realise that floating reed beds have a very limited life on a canal used by narrowboats.

As can be seen from the picture of those on the Rochdale Canal, the beds were installed way into the waterway, leaving little space for boats, with all them now long gone leaving dangerous spikes sticking out of the water where they were installed, the people installing them not realising that they were taking up precious cruising space.  Others 'planted' in the waterway met a similar fate.

They are being installed between bridges 23 and 24 in Tottenham in the Lee Navigation.