NAVIGATION FACT FILE 5/9 “The Thames is an international landmark and an invaluable asset for all who use it or Jive by its banks.” E n v i r o n m e n t A g e n c y “We also receive valuable guidance from the Thames Regional Fisheries Advisory Committee. Membership is drawn from a wide range of local and national bodies. Meetings of this committee are open to the public.” the envi a he Environment Agency for England and divided into three areas (West, North East opinion can ensure that the water TWales is one of the most powerful and South East) which are the first point of environment continues to be given the care environmental regulators in the world. It contact for local issues. and attention it needs. That is why your interest and support is so critical. provides a comprehensive approach to the Navigation, the subject o f this leaflet, is one of protection and management of the our key responsibilities. The others - Some of our external 'partners' environment, emphasising prevention, Conservation, Water Quality, Fisheries, Flood (In addition to ones mentioned above.) education and vigorous enforcement Defence, Recreation, Water Resources, Waste Regulation and Integrated Pollution Control wherever necessary. The Agency’s creation on • Royal Yachting Association are covered in separate leaflets. the 1st April 1 996 was a major step, • Association o f Thames Yacht Clubs and merging the expertise of the National Rivers In reality, we can't treat these responsibilities other boating groups Authority, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of separately. Whatever we do must be done in • British Canoe Union Pollution, the Waste Regulation Authorities the context of the whole catchment. This and several smaller units from the means that the work of one specialist • Amateur Rowing Association and department can only be effectively carried Department of the Environment. Thames Rowing Council out in collaboration with others. (So it’s a • British Waterways and other navigation Thames Region good idea to read all the leaflets, and not just this one. In that way you’ll get a better authorities England and Wales are divided into eight understanding of what we are trying to do.) • Inland Waterways Association Environment Agency regions. Thames Region is responsible for the protection of a 1 3,000 The collaboration extends well outside the • River User Groups square km area of great diversity. The Region Environment Agency. In Navigation, for • British Marine Industries Federation instance, we work closely with people and extends from Cirencester in the west to and Thames Boating Trades Association Southend in the east and from Luton in the organisations who want to maintain and • Marine Safety Committees and Marine north to the Surrey Downs in the south. improve navigation on the rivers o f our Because this area contains a fifth of the region. Safety Agency nations population, development pressures But the most important collaboration is with • English Nature and Countryside and demands on natural resources, individual members of the public. The media Commission - both statutory advisers particularly water, are greater than elsewhere - newspapers, magazines, TV and radio - help to the Government in England and Wales. Thames Region is sub­ by keeping people informed about navigation issues, but only public • National Trust “For many centuries the Thames Navigation has In the last 100 years, as working hours Registration is important - and compulsory! been regulated by Crown and Parliament.” shortened and holiday times lengthened, and Every pleasure boat, including inflatables and as both rail and road transport improved, tenders (‘tenders’ are small boats towed or A river of history people became increasingly able to savour carried by another larger boat) must be Today, the River Thames is among the most the delights available on and around the registered with Thames Region before being popular pleasure-boating waterways in the river. Yachtsmen, oarsmen, punters (in th e used in any way on the River Thames country. literal sense), people who just like messing upstream o f Teddington. Moreover, every boat with an engine must have a licence to navigate. These licences are issued free to registered boats. Without control, there would be conflict and danger. Just think- 30,000 pleasure boats on 2 1 7 kilometres of navigable river - about 7 metres per boat, but fortunately not all at the same time! Boating as part of the balance As well as the boats and their users the Thames attracts hundreds of thousands of other river lovers and users. Walkers, strollers, naturalists, people who just sit and watch, anglers and tourists from all over the world. Just to our locks, apart from visitors on boats, seven million visits are made each year. The River has many vital practical uses. It is essential for land drainage, for irrigation, as a source of drinking water, and as a disposal system for treated outfalls from sewage works. It is home to a wonderful variety of wildlife. However, recreation wasn’t always the main about in boats and people who just like It is also an international landmark - one o f reason for boating. In the past, the Thames sitting in boats while someone - or the most famous rivers in the world, and had more serious business to handle. For the something - propels them, were all able to part o f our national heritage, as well as a Romans it was a valuable trade route. The do their thing on the river. valuable community asset for those living on Saxons sailed up it to establish their “We want to make boating on the Thames more or near its banks. settlements. The Danes used it for their enjoyable and safer for all.” So, looking after the Thames is an immense raiding expeditions. Thousands of boats privilege and an extremely demanding one. Then, for most of the next thousand or so Not surprisingly for such an important asset, years, the Thames became the pre-eminent The river’s popularity with amateur inland a management responsibility emerged over commercial thoroughfare o f south central sailors has continued to grow, until today no the centuries, mainly but not wholly England. It brought the produce o f the up­ fewer than 21,000 boats are registered with concerned with navigation. The Agency’s river farms down to London. And it brought the Agency's Thames Region. Two thirds of Thames Region has inherited this the products of the city back to the country. them are motorised craft. And there are responsibility. Our task is to maintain it for another 8,000 craft visiting the Thames from Because the navigation was so important, any today’s needs, adding where necessary but other waterways (they only need a short-stay interference with it was strictly controlled. above all conserving and protecting it for certificate). Before the Conquest, Edward the Confessor's present and future generations. 'Ancient Laws’ emphasised the pre-eminence o f navigation rights on the Thames as a Royal river and demanded the removal o f obstructions. Down the centuries through Royal Prerogative and then Acts o f Parliaments the Thames navigation rights continue to today. All change The coming o f the railway in the middle o f the last century drastically reduced the role of the Thames as a commercial highway between the country and London (although the tidal Thames grew in importance as an international port). So far as the inland transport o f cargo was concerned, the railway was quicker and cheaper. But the railway also carried people, making the whole length of the river accessible to thousands o f would-be navigators (o f one kind o f another) from London and its suburbs, indeed from towns and cities all over the country. The authority people in the nearby boats. Fire, often Convenient addresses following an explosion, is a frequent cause o f As the navigation authority for the River The leaflets also contain many useful disaster. Petrol-engine launches if not Thames between Cricklade near the source addresses - where to launch your boat, where properly maintained and serviced are at great and Teddington Lock where the river to moor it and where to pump out your risk o f a fire or explosion. We must do becomes tidal, the Agency is responsible for sewage. They also give a table o f the distances everything we can by education and by law maintaining the navigation rights, the locks and measurement o f the headways of bridges to reduce those risks. and weirs, providing a wide range o f services for the whole length of the navigable river to river users and for managing the river on Other rules relate to the environment and from Lechlade to Teddington. behalf of the whole community. consideration for others, and enforce Boat Safety The task o f balancing all the varied needs of procedures that prevent pollution (from on­ all the different river-users lies at the heart of board lavatories, for instance). No-one Licences for motor launches are granted on that responsibility. Like you, and every other should any longer think that the Thames is a condition that the boats meet our river user, we want our rivers to remain in as personal dustbin. requirements for construction and safety unspoilt a condition as possible, and we want Read all about it equipment. In co-operation with British them to be shared, enjoyed and valued by Waterways, other navigation authorities, We have produced leaflets which give useful present and future generations. representatives of the marine industry and advice and information o f direct interest to not least boat users representatives we have Among our tasks in the Navigation Service every river-user - and summarise the rules produced a common set of safety standards we encourage boat-users to play their part in which apply on the river.