Reports about parts of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal running dry this summer are not as a result of the removal of the water abstraction license, according to a group that has campaigned for a long-term solution for the waterway’s future.

Concerns raised online this summer claimed that residents near the canal had been using buckets of water along the dry canal bed to keep local wildlife alive.

While this prompted calls from leading politicians for the Welsh Government to act more urgently, the Chronicle has found out the affected areas of the canal have never been fed by the River Usk.

“The main canal from Brecon to Cwmbran operated by CRT still has sufficient water,” a spokesperson from Preserve and Protect the Mon and Brec Canal said.

“This water is totally disconnected from the non-navigable canal sections at Two Locks and 14 Locks.”

“Those sections of the old canal are fed by local streams and run off from gardens and roads. Because of the dry weather those sections are now dry.”

Restrictions were imposed on how much water Glandwr Cymru, the Canal and River Trust in Wales (CRT), could take from the River Usk to feed the canal earlier this year after the removal of an abstraction license.

That license had been in place since 2017, and a debate was held in the Senedd in July where the Welsh Government promised to work towards a long-term future for the ancient waterway.

But calls from Senedd Members for the government to act urgently after reports emerged of parts of the canal drying up have been dampened, after it emerged that abstraction from the Usk wouldn’t have had any bearing on the two locks at Cwmbran, and the further 14 towards Rogerstone.

On Thursday (August 14) it was confirmed South East Wales had met the threshold for drought status, with the prolonged dry weather this year officially putting pressure on the water supply.

However, the claim from Reform UK MS, Laura Anne Jones, that large sections of the canal were dangerously dry as a result of the new restrictions on water abstraction, appear to have been conflated.

Nonetheless, Ms Jones stood by her point that the Welsh Government was dragging its heels.

“It’s heartbreaking to see residents forced to step in just to keep geese alive, due to water levels being so low,” she said.

“The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal plays an important role in our county, supporting tourism, biodiversity and community well-being. The emergency short-term supply of water that has been secured is vital to ensure the integrity of the canal, but how long this stop-gap measure can last, it’s not sustainable, nor is buying water at commercial prices.”

“The Welsh Government must stop dragging its feet and speed up the promised £5 million upgrades to the pumping station and find a long term solution. This canal is part of our heritage and rural economy, and deserves urgent action.”