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Canal Head House, built in 1801 at the
head of the canal, also remains as a private residence, and
one third of a mile west of Canal House is the Sandholme
Aqueduct, built in 1801 to carry the canal over a drain.
The original lock gates between the canal
and the River Hull have now been replaced by a sluice, cutting
the canal off from the river's tidal effects, and the canal
itself has been split into two sections about half way along
its length, and water is now fed from one section to the other
by means of a 'pipe'.
Up until recently, the Environment Agency
had not allowed regular dredging/maintenance of the canal on
the grounds that it wanted the wildlife to naturalise in the
area, having designated the canal as an SSSI (Site of Special
Scientific Interest). Unfortunately their decision had the
opposite effect on the canal in that it is now badly overgrown
with reeds and weeds in one section, and the volume and range
of wildlife inhabiting its banks appeared to be decreasing
rather than increasing.
Recently the Environment Agency has
allowed the owners to take limited but positive steps to
'clean up' the canal, and dredging of certain areas has been
undertaken. - These areas are already looking healthier.
It is a well known
fact that reduced water flow causes settlement of fine
sediments. This can clog up spawning grounds, making them
unsuitable for breeding, or can cover eggs already laid,
starving the developing embryo's of oxygen. In either case,
fish stocks in the canal are bound to be reduced. Also, low
water flow during the summer leads to higher water
temperatures and this reduces oxygen levels in the water.
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