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Members' space Inland Waterways International |
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campaigning for inland waterways worldwide since 1995 |
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The association Objectives, current and upcoming activities are presented on the IWI page Bibliography IWI is compiling a bibliography of canal and waterway books, at present covering only titles published in English. See the Bibliography page Corporate members IWI's corporate members represent the rich diversity of canal and waterway authorities, societies and service providers. See logos and links to their web sites.
US National Canal Museum has to move - President Dave Ballinger regrets the decision by Crayola that requires the National Canal Museum to move out of the premises shared with its visitor center at Two Rivers Landing in Easton, Pa. He recalls that IWI delegates visited the Museum during the WCC in Bethlehem in 2006, and found it to be a great place for children of all ages to learn about canals and everything related to them in a hands-on fashion. 'The directors have a lot of work ahead for relocating and reorganizing the museum and we certainly wish them well with their endeavours'. Canalised river Cher - Common sense has prevailed on the river Cher in central France, where the government representative has listed the needle weir at Civray as a historic monument. A valuable step towards securing the future of this isolated navigation... Map index to world canals - Maps identify issues on canals and waterways in different parts of the world. See the pages showing World Heritage Canals and (already designated by UNESCO or nominated at State level) and environmental issues on world waterways. These maps will be updated, and others added to identify New Projects, Missing Links, all areas in which IWI and its membership are concerned and frequently involved. Cruising east via the Bug - 1960s hotel barging pioneer Richard Parsons gives an account of his attempts to plan cruising through the Polish river Bug and Belarus' and on to Moscow... and even Arkhangelsk! Read his personal diary of his research while in Warsaw in 2010. Orleans Canal & Festival - Historian Charles Berg reports on the very successful 2011 River & Canal Festival in Orléans. Members receive regular news of campaigns and developments in all areas through the magazine World Wide Waterways and newsletter IWI News. World Wide Waterways No 25 is currently in preparation. |
Yangzhou opens permanent site
A delegation from IWI led by president Dave Ballinger attended the formal inauguration of the new conference centre in Yangzhou on the Grand Canal, where next year's World Canal's Conference will be held on September 25-27. First the 5th China Yangzhou World Canal Cities Expo was given a spectacular start at a lavish Olympic Games-style opening ceremony on Sunday evening September 25. Dave Ballinger is seen here (2) delivering his speech before thousands of guests and millions of viewers on regional TV. On Monday morning the world-class conference centre (1) was opened during another ceremony addressed by prominent personalities, including Yangzhou Mayor Mr Xie and first Party Secretary Madame Ding. On Thursday 29, meetings were held to help prepare next year's conference, and the delegation had the opportunity to tour the new conference building with its massive but elegant architecture deliberately designed to evoke the robust classical designs of locks and other hydraulic structures (3). The sessions of the World Canal Cities Mayors' Forum were concluded on Monday 26 when mayors and other participants signed a huge canal city skyline fresco, committing to 'upgrade design', to procure for citizens 'elegant cities, wonderful lives' (4). The delegation also had a meeting with the Grand Canal's UNESCO World Heritage nomination office, based in Yangzhou, which is preparing the bid for the canal to be declared a World Heritage site. Team members involved in the bids for the Canal du Midi and Rideau Canal informed the team about aspects of their work in 1995 and 2006-2007 respectively. WCC adopts Groningen Declaration More than 200 waterway experts, managers and advocates attended the World Canals Conference at Groningen (Netherlands). The full programme of conference sessions with speakers from many countries throughout the world, and the daily site visits, will be reviewed here and in our next newsletter. The first site visit on Monday September 19 took delegates to the completed section of the Erica-Ter Apel link between Groningen and Drenthe provinces, and the sites of the two locks on the summit level section to be completed by 2013. This view shows works on the deep lock with water-saving basin at the Emmen end of the summit level. Click here to read the Groningen Declaration in favour of inland waterways as living heritage.  Emmen deep lock on the Erica-Ter Apel link canal
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IWI archive - Support for Saale-Elster campaign |
The first stop of IWI's tour of Bohemia and Saxony, on Thursday 7th April, was half way along the route of the Saale-Elster Canal. For a canal on which works stopped in 1942, the completed part offers all the appeal of a well-maintained inland waterway. 
IWI is contributing to the work done by 17 regional partners from throughout the EU under the Interreg IV C Waterways Forward programme, which started in March 2010 and continues to the end of 2012. Our contribution is providing an interface between the waterways and their international users, present or potential. See the Waterways Forward web site. Ulster Canal The Ulster Canal restoration project is going ahead. This is a significant new North-South project, in the wake of the 1998 Good Friday agreement. The €200 million project, which also includes several cross-border roads, will be implemented jointly with the UK government departments responsible for infrastructure investments in Northern Ireland. The 74km canal links Lough Erne and Lough Neagh.
Ireland's Waterways Map & Directory available to order. |
Bezdan Lock campaign
Deûle-Scheldt Canal reopened
European Waterways
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IWI member Danube Propeller recently took part in the 'Danube Day' celebrations in Bezdan (Vojvodina, Serbia) on June 29. The event brought together seven local associations, all with a keen interest in restoration of the entrance lock to the Danube-Tisa-Danube canal system. Hence the question mark held by one of the Danube Propeller crew on this boat on the Danube side of the lock. The waterway manager Vode Vojvodine has produced plans for sensitive restoration of this lock, valuable heritage, but the final cost is expected to reach 2 million euros, which cannot be funded within the organisation's current investment budget.
The Roubaix and Espierres Canals are open to regular navigation, following the completion of dredging works on the 8km long Belgian Canal. IWI's role in the campaign to save the canal was recognised, when it was invited to be part of the celebrations held on the border section of the canal on June 2nd. IWI was represented by Brian and Velma Kirton. Notice of passage is to be given at each end of the canal, so that SPW (in Belgium) and LMCU (in France) can arrange for the locks and movable bridges to be operated.
The 3rd edition of the European Waterways Map & Concise Directory was published in 2008, with new mapping for many areas. The overview map extends throughout Eastern Europe, while the enlargement on the reverse shows the network from the UK through to Bratislava on the Danube in fine detail.The 64p directory is illustrated with colour photographs and maps for certain parts of the network: the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Serbia,... The new directory is a mine of information, where we can learn about a canal restored in Belarus, a terminal built on the Danube in Moldova, and the 'double lift and aqueduct' planned to cross a motorway on the Göta Canal in Sweden. This edition gives a balanced view of the present situation, and the result is a publication of value for studying, visiting and campaigning for the heritage of navigations throughout Europe. The map may now be acquired from Internat Ltd via our
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