Protesters say watercourses are 'choked' with weed

Boaters and anglers have gathered in Lincoln to object to the condition of two waterways.

Members of Burton Waters Boat Club, which organised the gathering at the Brayford Pool on Saturday, say the Foss Dyke and the River Witham are choked with weed and are overgrown.

The club's Lee Bonham said they paid "significant" licence fees to the Canal & River Trust but saw little maintenance in return.

The trust, which is responsible for maintaining the waterways, said it was taking action to cut back vegetation but stressed that the warmer climate was providing ideal growing conditions for fast-growing weed.

The boaters also called for the waterways to be dredged so they remained navigable and said vegetation on the banks needed to be cut back.

Bonham, the commodore at the boat club, said there had been an increase in weed in the past three to four years, but it had been particularly bad this summer.

"There is a metre and a half of weed growing up from the bottom between Burton Waters and the Brayford Pool," he said.

"The pennywort weed is really thick between Brayford Pool and Bardney."

The Canal & River Trust said it understood that weed was frustrating for people wanting to enjoy the river.

"With a warming climate and nutrient-rich water entering from drainage channels and neighbouring land, the river provides ideal growing conditions for fast-growing weed," a spokesperson said.

"This catchment-wide issue isn't a problem we can solve ourselves, and we've been working with East Mercia Rivers Trust, local authorities, the Environment Agency and other stakeholders to develop an action plan and look for funding sources to help us find solutions."

The trust said it was committed to working with river users to ensure the river was "the best it can be" for people and wildlife.

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