YEARS of mismanagement have led to a hazardous situation where many fish have died on a stretch of canal, a fishing group has argued.
As England's first industrial canal, the Sankey Canal is a historical part of the borough and one that the Newton-le-Willows Angler's Association has fished on since the 1970s.
With the fishing group leasing part of the canal from St Helens Council, they say that the lower pound stretch near the Hey Lock has been a problem for around 20 years, and an area that has become increasingly hazardous in recent years.
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As the canal is a slow-moving body of water, the anglers suggested that fish have died as a result of algae and duckweed build up, which has restricted movement and oxygen levels in the water.
There have also been suggestions that a water drain from a nearby housing estate may be exacerbating the problem, and adding extra nutrients that cannot flow out of the canal.
All of this has been causing concerns for the safety of the fish, ducks, and wildlife around the canal.
Ian Alexander, of Newton Anglers' Association, said: "I'd say the problem with the lower pound has been going on for around two decades, but it has got a lot worse in the past ten to fifteen years.
"There are high levels of nutrients flowing through that can't get out, and there is so much duckweed that the fish can't swim through the canal.
"It's a real health hazard because there have been massive fish kills, but if we move fish to the upper pound, there is a big risk that these could be infected which could affect the entire ecosystem of the canal."
While this has been an ongoing problem for around two decades, Ian said it is something the group has consistently raised with the council to try and resolve.
"Over the years, many of our members have complained about the lower pond, and we have spent countless man hours and thousands of pounds trying to tackle this", Ian added.
"But this is a council issue as they own the canal, and although we have raised the issue for several years, nothing has been done.
"In my opinion, it is many years of mismanagement that has led to this situation and it's so frustrating, it's unbelievable."
Aware of the situation around the Hey Lock stretch, St Helens Council's Environmental Agency and United Utilities are investigating to try and address the problem.
A St Helens Borough Council spokesperson said: “The Environment Agency (EA) has recently carried out a water quality report on this particular stretch of the canal, which is owned by the council and leased to a local angling association, with clear responsibilities set out in the lease.
“As England’s first industrial canal, Sankey Canal is a vitally important heritage asset and we will work with partners to resolve this issue, with a site visit planned to determine the next steps.”
A United Utilities spokesperson added: “Following meetings with the local canal group, we are carrying out investigations to establish if there are any potential misconnections into our surface water sewer.
"We will continue to work with the group and other relevant organisations to help them understand the issues that are impacting the water quality.”
Also concerned about the situation, the Sankey Canal Restoration Society said that its volunteers are hopeful that a plan of action can be agreed upon to improve the canal's condition.
Steve Davies, chair of the Sankey Canal Restoration Society (SCRS), added: "The canal is a fantastic heritage and recreational asset for the Borough but the SCRS knows that funding is difficult, which is why we are keen on all parties working together and coming up with imaginative solutions and a plan of action.
"We can't just let the canal continue to deteriorate and affect the fish and wildlife.
"If we are to solve this problem, we will need a mix of volunteers and the council help to improve drainage, cut back vegetation, clear the weeds, and repair the canal bank.
"We are hopeful that a plan of action can be agreed. The SCRS would be more than happy to support the council and the Angler's Association in bringing this stretch back to health."
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