OWNERS of businesses in the Skipton area based on canal holidays are praying for rain following news that there are plans to close some locks on the Leeds-Liverpool canal to help conserve water.
The summer heatwave and lack of rainfall has left water supplies in reservoirs seriously depleted.
And the Canal and River Trust has said it could be forced to close the locks on a 55-mile stretch between Wigan and Gargrave, near Skipton, throughout August unless there is soon significant rainfall.
Boats would still be able to move around on the canal between locks, and the towpath would remain open.
This would cause obvious difficulties for longer-distance canal cruise operators, and there could be financial implications for businesses such as pubs and cafes along the canal route.
Canal and River Trust spokesman Daniel Greenhalgh said it had been "a difficult decision" to close the canal, and that it had been working with boating businesses to offer alternative routes.
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