Anglian Waterways - the regional river navigation authority
Essential updates and information for river users, including safety, lock and infrastructure maintenance, moorings, boat registration (licensing) and waterway access.
Applies to England
River conditions
You can find current river conditions on Check river conditions and closures: Anglian Waterways.
You can also:
- find out more about river advice for boaters
- register for the service
Riverviews eMagazine
You can read Riverviews, our twice-yearly magazine for Waterways users in the Anglian region.
Riverviews is your inside look at:
- river management
- important projects being carried out to improve our waterways for people and wildlife
- community support schemes
- the stories shaping the waterways, including those showing the importance of our waterways for mental health and well being
Anglian Waterways
The Environment Agency is the Navigation Authority for Anglian Waterways.
We manage the 7 rivers that make up Anglian Waterways. These are:
- River Great Ouse
- River Nene
- River Stour
- River Ancholme
- Black Sluice Navigation
- River Glen and Welland
You can follow the link for each river to get:
- navigation notices for each river
- a useful guide to the river
- event organisation guidance and application form
- speed exemption guidance and application form
- river maps
- other useful information
- guidance on bridge heights, locks and facilities
You can also see these waterways in our Anglian Waterways map (PDF)
Moorings and marina
Anglian Waterways leisure moorings
Anglian Waterways offers a range of mooring opportunities in attractive waterside locations across the region. These include leisure, mixed-use and selected residential moorings on the:
- River Nene
- River Great Ouse
- Reach Lode near the River Cam
The Environment Agency manages the following mooring locations:
- Northampton Marina, on the River Nene - you can find out at Northampton Marina mooring
- Denver Complex, on the River Great Ouse - you can find out more at Denver Complex moorings
- Upware Moorings, on Reach Lode (River Cam) - you can find out more at Upware mooring
You can request a long term mooring using the
For further information about a mooring, contact the Moorings Team on 0208 474 8261 or by email at Waterways-ANRentMoor@environment-agency.gov.uk
Visitor (short stay) moorings
There are many 48-hour visitor and emergency moorings on Anglian waterways. Registered vessels can use these moorings free of charge for the maximum time stated.
Environment Agency River Inspectors and Enforcement Officers patrol our moorings regularly to make sure boaters don’t stay longer than allowed.
Wild moorings
Wild Moorings offer the chance for owners of riverside properties to moor their own boat inline with their property, where the bank is Environment Agency-registered land. Find out more about wild mooring on Anglian Waterways.
Using Anglian Waterways
Your boat must be insured, registered and have a valid Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) certificate (if applicable) to use the Anglian Waterways and its moorings. You should also read the Anglian navigation byelaws.
If you regularly use waterways managed by the Canal & River Trust and the Environment Agency you can find out how to save money on your boat registration (licence) with a combined gold licence.
Anglian Pass
The Anglian Pass allows unrestricted visitor access to the navigations of the:
- Environment Agency
- Middle Level Commissioners
- Conservators of the River Cam
It runs for one year starting the 01 April to the following 31 March. The Anglian Pass is only available for powered boats that have a valid annual vessel registration/licence. This can have come from:
- the Environment Agency (including a Gold Licence obtained through the Canal & River Trust)
- Middle Level Commissioners
- Conservators of the River Cam
It is based on your home or permanent mooring.
You must ensure you have a valid annual vessel registration/licence for the term of the Pass. If you don’t, your Pass may be revoked, and your vessel will therefore be considered unregistered. For example, Gold Licence holders must renew their annual registration in January for the Pass to be valid to the end of March.
You must use one of the following valid annual boats registrations to apply for a Pass:
- Environment Agency annual registration for Anglian Waterways covering the Nene and Great Ouse
- Conservators of the River Cam annual registration - which manages the River Cam Navigation
- Middle Level Commissioners annual registration - which manages the navigation of the Middle Level
- Gold Licence through the Canal & River Trust
The pass allows boaters to move between these different navigations without paying multiple registration fees. It is valid from 1 April to 31 March of the following year. You can read the for more information.
The Pass is a fixed price, based on vessel length. It runs for a year starting 1 April and ending the following 31 March. Anglian Pass charges for the 2026 to 2027 season are:
- up to 5m inclusive = £33
- over 5m to 10m inclusive = £66
- over 10m to 15m inclusive = £99
- over 15m = £132
How to apply for a pass
You can apply for the Pass:
- at any point during the year, although the price remains the same at whatever point you purchase the Annual Pass
- when you renew your boat registration
- if you decide to take up the offer later
You can apply for the Anglian Pass (01 April to 31 March) online.
You can also call us and pay by credit/debit card on 0330 159 1983 if you:
- already hold a full annual Environment Agency Waterways vessel registration for Anglian Waterways
- have previously purchased an Anglian Pass
You can read the to understand how we will use your data.
Before you apply
You need to know the:
- boat name
- boat registration number (stays the same each year)
- current registration or licence number for the season you are applying for
- boat length and beam
- approximate year the boat was built
- boat engine details
We advise you check river conditions and lock availability before purchasing and do allow plenty of time to apply for the Pass. If you do not have a valid Pass when visiting any of the partner navigations, you may be subject to enforcement action on those waterways.
We aim to process your application as quickly as possible. However, at busy times, it can take up to 10 working days from the day of receipt. For postal applications, please also allow 2 to 3 days for delivery.
The Anglian Pass is non-refundable.
Volunteering with Anglian Waterways
We are looking for volunteers who can:
- be an important source of information for boaters
- help keep our waterways a special place to enjoy
Find out more about volunteering with Anglian Waterways.
Useful information
- If you are new to boating, the Canal & River Trust boater’s handbook has lots of useful information
Find Anglian Waterways on:
You can also find the Environment Agency on YouTube
Anglian waterways privacy notices
All other enquiries
For any other enquiries you can email WaterwaysAnglian@environment-agency.gov.uk.
You can also call:
- the Environment Agency’s National Customer Call Centre on 03708 506 506
- the Environment Agency 24 hour hotline for reporting environmental incidents - 0800 80 70 60
- Floodline - 0345 988 1188