Who maintains the UK’s canals and rivers?
The UK’s canals and navigable rivers are managed by navigation authorities
UK navigation authorities are responsible for looking after the waterways including maintaining locks and bridges, dredging and flood management.
If you want to use the waterways for activities like boating, paddling or fishing you may need a licence from the navigation authority that manages it. You can find out which navigation authority manages the waterway you want to use on our waterway pages.
EXPLORE YOUR WATERWAYS
Find out about the navigable canals and rivers near you – and the waterways events, activities and groups happening on them.
Navigation authorities
- Acting Conservator of the River Mersey – Navigation conservancy
- Aefon Teifi Fairways Ltd – Waterway management company
- Anglian Water – Grafham Water – Navigation manager (byelaws)
- Anglian Water – Rutland Water – Navigation manager (byelaws)
- Annan Harbour – Trust Harbour authority (trust port)
- Argyll & Bute Council – Navigation authority (municipal)
- Ashby Canal Trust – Charitable trust
- Associated British Ports (ABP Garston) – Harbour authority (company)
- Associated British Ports (ABP Humber) – Harbour authority (company)
- Associated British Ports (ABP Ipswich) – Harbour authority (company)
- Associated British Ports (ABP King’s Lynn) – Harbour authority (company)
- Associated British Ports (ABP Lowestoft) – Harbour authority (company)
- Associated British Ports (ABP Plymouth) – Harbour authority (company)
- Associated British Ports (ABP Southampton) Harbour authority (company)
- Associated British Ports (ABP Swansea) Harbour authority (company)
- Avon Navigation Trust Navigation authority (charitable trust)
- Barking & Ilford Navigation Co Ltd – Navigation company
- Barnsley, Dearne & Dove Canals Trust – Charitable trust
- Basingstoke Canal Authority – Navigation authority (municipal)
- Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterway Trust – Restoration charity
- Berwick Harbour Commissioners – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Blyth Harbour Commissioners – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Bridgewater Canal Co Ltd (part of Peel Group) – Navigation company
- Brightlingsea Harbour Commissioners Harbour authority (trust port)
- Bristol City Council – Navigation authority (municipal)
- Bristol Port Co Ltd – Harbour authority (company)
- Broads Authority – Navigation authority (public)
- Buckingham Canal Society – Charitable trust
- Canal & River Trust – Navigation authority (charitable trust)
- Cardiff Harbour Authority – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Carmarthenshire County Council/ Cyngor Sir Gâr – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Cattewater Harbour Commissioners – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Cheshire West and Chester Council – Navigation authority (municipal)
- Chesterfield Canal Trust – Charitable trust
- Chichester Canal Trust – Charitable trust
- Chichester Harbour Conservancy Board – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Christchurch Borough Council – Local Lighthouse Authority
- City and County of Swansea Council/ Cyngor Dinas a Sir Abertawe – Navigation manager (byelaws)
- City of Portsmouth – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Clyde Port Authority – Harbour authority (company)
- Company of Proprietors of Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Ltd – Navigation company
- Company of Proprietors of the Neath Canal Navigation (owned by St Modwen Neath Canal Ltd) – Navigation company
- Company of Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation – Navigation company
- Conservators of the River Cam – Navigation conservancy
- Conwy County Borough Council/ Cyngor Bwrdestref Sirol Conwy – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Cornwall Council – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Cornwall Council – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Cowes Harbour Commission – Harbour authority (trust port)
- C. RO Ports Killingholme Ltd – Harbour authority (company)
- Crouch Harbour Authority – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Dart Harbour and Navigation Authority – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Denbighshire County Council – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Driffield Navigation Trust – Navigation trustees
- East Yorkshire Council – Navigation authority (public)
- Environment Agency – Navigation authority (public)
- Environment Agency – Harbour authority (public)
- Essex Waterways Ltd – Waterway management company
- Exeter City Council – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Falmouth Docks and Engineering Company – Harbour authority (company)
- Falmouth Harbour Commissioners – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Fenland District Council Harbour authority (municipal)
- Forth Ports Authority – Harbour authority (company)
- Fowey Harbour Commissioners – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Glasgow City Council – Navigation manager (byelaws)
- Gloucester Harbour Trustees – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Great Yarmouth Port Authority – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Gwynedd Council/Cyngor Gwynedd – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Harwich Haven Authority – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal Trust – Charitable Trust
- Hull City Council – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Isle of Wight District Council – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Kings Lynn Conservancy Board – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Lake District National Park Authority – Navigation manager (byelaws)
- Lancaster Canal Regeneration Partnership – Unincorporated partnership
- Lancaster Port Commissioners – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Langstone Harbour Board – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust Ltd – Charitable Trust
- Littlehampton Harbour Board – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park Authority – Navigation manager (byelaws)
- Looe Harbour Commissioners – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Lord Montague of Beaulieu (Beaulieu Enterprises Ltd) – Harbour authority (company)
- Louth Navigation Trust – Charitable Trust
- Lymington Harbour Commissioners – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Maldon Harbour Improvement Commissioners – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Manchester Ship Canal Co (Peel Ports) – Harbour authority (company)
- Manchester & Stockport Canal Society – Charitable trust
- Mersey Docks & Harbour Co (Peel Ports) – Harbour authority (company)
- Middle Level Commissioners – Internal Drainage Board
- Milford Haven Port Authority Harbour authority (trust port)
- National Trust – Charitable Trust
- Natural Resources Wales – Harbour authority (public)
- Neath Port Authority – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Nenthead Mines Conservation Society – Charitable trust
- Newcastle City Council – Navigation manager (byelaws)
- Newhaven Port & Properties Ltd – Harbour authority (company)
- New Orford Town Trust – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Newport Harbour Commissioners – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Nith Navigation Commission Harbour authority (trust port)
- North Devon Council Harbour authority (municipal)
- Northumbrian Water – Navigation manager (byelaws)
- Ouse and Humber Drainage Board – Internal Drainage Board
- Padstow Harbour Commissioners – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Peel Ports Medway – Harbour authority (company)
- Perth & Kinross Council – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Poole Harbour Commissioners – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Port of Boston Ltd – Harbour authority (company)
- Port of Fosdyke Ltd – Harbour authority (company)
- Port of London Authority – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Port of Mostyn Harbour authority (company)
- Port of Sunderland Authority Harbour authority (municipal)
- Port of Tyne Authority Harbour authority (trust port)
- Port Tennant Co Ltd – Navigation company
- Preston City Council (Riversway) – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Queen’s Harbourmaster – Harbour Authority (public)
- Queen’s Harbourmaster Harbour Authority (public)
- River Hamble Harbour Authority (Hants CC) – Harbour Authority (municipal)
- River Yealm – Harbour Authority (trust port)
- Salcombe Harbour Authority (South Hams District Council) – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Sandwich Port and Haven Commissioners – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Scarborough Borough Council – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Scottish Canals – Navigation authority (public)
- Sedgemoor District Council – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Shoreham Port Authority – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Sleaford Navigation Trust – Charitable trust
- Southern Water – Navigation manager (byelaws)
- St Mawes Pier & Harbour Co – Harbour authority (company)
- Stafford Riverway Link – CIC Navigation company
- Stratford and Warwick Waterways Trust – Charitable trust
- Stroud Valleys Canal Co – Navigation company Stroud District Council
- Sutton Harbour Authority – Harbour authority (company)
- Tees & Hartlepool Port Authority – Harbour authority (company)
- Teignmouth Harbour Commissioners – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Teignmouth Quay Co (ABP) – Harbour authority (company)
- Tendring District Council – Navigation manager (byelaws)
- Torridge District Council – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Ulverston Canal Company (part of NPL Estates Ltd) – Charitable Trust
- Urr Navigation Trust – Harbour authority (trust port)
- Waveney District Council – Harbour authority (municipal)
- Waveney District Council (Sentinel Leisure Trust) – Waterway management company
- Wey & Arun Canal Trust – Charitable Trust
- Welland and Deepings IDB – Internal Drainage Board
- Wilts & Berks Canal Trust – Charitable Trust
- Witham 4th District IDB – Internal Drainage Board
- York City Council – Navigation authority (municipal)
Love your waterways
Together we can protect and restore our waterways; the UK’s 6,500 miles of canals and rivers need your help.