kids encyclopedia robot

Waterway restoration facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Montgomery Canal restoration near Crickheath Wharf August 2007cropped
Part of the Montgomery Canal being brought back to life

Waterway restoration is all about bringing old canals and rivers back to life! This includes fixing up special parts like old buildings, locks (which are like water elevators for boats), and boat lifts. It's also about making sure boats can use these waterways again.

In places like the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States, people mostly restore waterways so boats can travel on them easily. In Australia, it can also mean making the water cleaner and healthier.

Bringing Waterways Back in Canada

People in Canada have been working hard to restore their old canals. It's a big job that helps bring history and fun back to these areas.

The Shubenacadie Canal Story

The Shubenacadie Canal in Nova Scotia is a great example. It's a historic waterway that connects lakes and rivers. In 1986, a group called the Shubenacadie Canal Commission was created. Their job was to plan for the canal's future.

They have already fixed two of the canal's locks. They also made sure the water levels in the nearby lakes stay steady. A visitor center has opened, too, so people can learn all about the canal. The plan is to fix four more locks. They also want to rebuild four water control structures. This will let small boats travel from Lake Banook all the way to the village of Shubenacadie.

The Soulanges Canal Project

The Soulanges Canal in Quebec closed way back in 1958. But now, there are exciting plans to open it again! This time, it will be for fun boats, not just big ships.

A group called the Régie intermunicipale du canal de Soulanges is in charge. Their main goal is to help tourism grow around the canal. They want to make it a popular spot for visitors once it reopens.

Bringing Waterways Back in Finland

Finland also has some interesting stories about restoring old waterways. These projects often turn old canals into cool places for tourists to visit.

Suvorov Military Canals: History and Tourism

The Suvorov military canals are a set of four open canals on the big Saimaa lake. For about 200 years, three of these canals were almost untouched. But in 2003, the Finnish National Board of Antiquities started fixing them up.

Now, these old military canals have become popular tourist spots. People can visit them and learn about their history.

Tar Canals: From Transport to Tourist Shows

In Kajaani, there were once "tar canals." These canals and locks helped boats get past the Koivukoski and Ämmäkoski rapids. They were built in 1846 and were super important. They helped transport wood pine tar to the city of Oulu.

The canals eventually wore out and closed in 1915. But in 1984, the Ämmäkoski lock was fixed and reopened! The Koivukoski canal, however, was completely taken apart. A power plant now stands where it used to be.

The restored Ämmäkoski canal isn't used for transport anymore. But in the summer, they have fun "tar boat shows" for tourists. It's a cool way to see how things used to be!

Bringing Waterways Back in the United Kingdom

Droitwich canal restoration
People working hard to dig out the Droitwich Canal in 1978 during a summer camp.

Many canals in the United Kingdom were built a long time ago. They were often too narrow for the biggest boats. Because of this, and because railways became popular, many canals were left unused. This happened in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

But in the 1950s, people started using canals for fun activities like boating. This helped save the remaining canals from being completely abandoned.

Soon, people realized that old, unused canals could be brought back to life. At first, it was slow work. There wasn't much money, so volunteers did most of the hard work by hand.

As more people enjoyed canals for leisure, the economic benefits became clear. Governments started to provide some money. More and more volunteers joined the restoration groups.

Today, canal restoration in the UK is a mix of volunteers and paid professionals. They work together on many different projects.

Canals Being Restored Now

Barge lockdrotwitch
A lock on the Droitwich Canal being fixed up.

Many canals across the UK are currently being restored. This means lots of hard work to clear them, fix locks, and make them ready for boats again. Here are some of them:

Groups That Restore Waterways in the UK

Gough's OrchardThames & Severn canal 2009
Gough's Orchard lock on the Thames & Severn Canal being restored by the Waterway Recovery Group.

Many dedicated groups and volunteers work tirelessly to restore canals and rivers. They raise money, organize work parties, and help bring these historic waterways back to life. Some of these groups include:

Canals That Are Now Open Again

Many restoration projects have been finished, and these waterways are now open for boats and people to enjoy! Here are some of the canals that have been reopened, listed by when they were completed:

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Waterway restoration Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.