My wife and I have had our boat moored on the Erewash for eight years now, writes Brad Coles.
And the locks leak their water and it goes down so much overnight that you finish up in the morning on the tilt, which is why we always have out ropes loose, as do other boaters.
My photo shows a lock with its bottom gate that always swings open it unable to stay closed, and has can be noticed through the gap the top gates are badly leaking as the cill has gone, so the water just runs into the river. Yet as also can be seen the pound is still low!
It is same with many locks, and the reason there have been so many closures on this canal as the water just drains away. And many of us boaters on the canal believe there are actual leaks in the canal itself as you can see water gathering from where it leaks out.
I notice in the list you published this morning of locks that are being replaced in the winter works there are none on the Erewash!
We hear a great deal about the lack of money, yet miles of the Erewash towpath was upgraded to a fast cycling track, that must have cost a packet.