Wildlife Habitats

Canals support a range of habitat types including open water, grassland, hedgerows, woodlands and scrub. Although many of the habitats along canals occur only as thin strips, they may continue for many miles, connecting fragmented habitats in the wider canal corridor, and enabling species to disperse. Sometimes the various habitat types along canals are the only examples of their kind within agricultural or urban landscapes.

The various built structures along canals, including bridges, aqueducts, tunnels, and canal-side buildings, also provide for a variety of flora and fauna.
The restoration of the Northern Reaches of the Lancaster Canal will conserve and enhance biodiversity (including populations of protected species, national and local biodiversity action plan species and habitats, and other valuable habitats and species) in the canal corridor.