On Fri, 24 Feb 2006 17:26:39 +0000, Chris wrote:

Isn't there an underused canal network between 'Oop North and the South?
High evaporation rates in summer, granted - but could be used to
transfer water top to bottom in wintertime I would have thought.
Then just use piping between a suitable takeoff point and
reservoirs/distribution points.

I have not seen a recent appraisal of the canal network being utilised
in this way but as I said about 14 days ago on an old thread, there
was once talk of piping Severn to the Thames.
However, the canal network from north to south feeds southward from
the Chilterns (Grand Union), the Lea Navigation is a river and
probably has a lot of abstraction methinks. Then moving westwards is
the Oxford, from its summit adjacent to Fenny Compton (and currently
low reservoir levels). That is it. The problem with canals is that
there are a lot of ups and downs between the North West and the South
East and the volumn of water required would be,I suspect, far more
than could be delivered. One canal is well used as a feeder - the
Llangollen from North Wales which feeds Hurleston Reservoir and that,I
suspect, feeds Chester(?), Nantwich area. It has a considerable flow.
There are probably figures of what it carries.
At the end of the day, I think that piping is the answer, but I hasten
to say that I have no real knowledge of what could or could not be
done.
The Basingstoke Canal is pretty notorious for water issues fed by
springs I believe Greywell area. There is a big restoration programme
just started to restore some of the Cotswold canals - the one that
runs up the Golden Valley to sapperton Tunnel. IIRC when that cut
operated the thing leaked like a sieve.
The west east Kennet & Avon rises from Bath, with a massive rise at
devizes. Here (I think!) there is a back pumping scheme as the long
pound through Pewsey is usually on the low side- the Devizes locks
really do use a lot of water
R