Editing River Thames (section)

===Navigation===
[[File:river.thames.viewfromtowerbridge.london.arp.jpg|thumb|Pool of London looking west, from the high-level walkway on [[Tower Bridge]]]]
[[File:Carpathia Unloading at Tilbury docks - geograph.org.uk - 2091919.jpg|thumb|A container ship unloading at Northfleet Hope terminal, [[Port of Tilbury|Tilbury]]]]
[[File:MV Geeststroom on Thames - geograph.org.uk - 360501.jpg|thumb|A ship heading downstream past [[Coryton Refinery]]]]
[[File:River Thames Rubbish Trap, London - Dec 2008.jpg|thumb|[[Waste|Rubbish]] traps are used on the Thames to filter [[debris]] as it flows through central London.]]

The Thames is maintained for navigation by powered craft from the estuary as far as [[Lechlade]] in Gloucestershire and for very small craft to [[Cricklade]]. The original [[towpath]] extends upstream from [[Putney Bridge]] as far as the connection with the now disused [[Thames and Severn Canal]] at [[Inglesham]], one and a half miles upstream of the [[St John's Lock|last boat lock]] near [[Lechlade]]. From Teddington Lock to the head of navigation, the navigation authority is the [[Environment Agency]]. Between the sea and [[Teddington Lock]], the river forms part of the [[Port of London]] and navigation is administered by the [[Port of London Authority]]. Both the tidal river through London and the non-tidal river upstream are intensively used for leisure navigation.

The non-tidal River Thames is divided into reaches by the 45 [[lock (water transport)|locks]]. The locks are staffed for the greater part of the day, but can be operated by experienced users out of hours. This part of the Thames links to existing navigations at the [[River Wey Navigation]], the [[River Kennet]] and the [[Oxford Canal]]. All craft using it must be licensed. The [[Environment Agency]] has patrol boats (named after tributaries of the Thames) and can enforce the limit strictly since river traffic usually has to pass through a lock at some stage. A speed limit of {{cvt|8|km/h|kn|1}} applies. There are pairs of [[Navigation transit markers|transit markers]] at various points along the non-tidal river that can be used to check speed – a boat travelling legally taking a minute or more to pass between the two markers.

The tidal river is navigable to large ocean-going ships as far upstream as the [[Pool of London]] and [[London Bridge]]. Although London's upstream enclosed docks have closed and central London sees only the occasional visiting [[cruise ship]] or [[naval ship|warship]], the tidal river remains one of Britain's main ports. Around 60 active terminals cater for shipping of all types including [[ro-ro]] ferries, cruise liners and vessels carrying [[Containerization|containers]], vehicles, timber, grain, paper, [[Petroleum|crude oil]], [[petroleum products]], [[liquified petroleum gas]] etc.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.portoflondon.co.uk/siteimages/port%20promotion/Terminal%20location%20map%20(full).jpg |access-date=12 May 2008 |author=Port of London Authority |title=Terminal locations |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527201816/http://www.portoflondon.co.uk/siteimages/port%20promotion/Terminal%20location%20map%20(full).jpg |archive-date=27 May 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> There is a regular traffic of [[Construction aggregate|aggregate]] or [[waste|refuse]] vessels, operating from [[wharf|wharves]] in the west of London. The tidal Thames links to the canal network at the [[River Lea Navigation]], the [[Regent's Canal]] at [[Limehouse Basin]] and the [[Grand Union Canal]] at Brentford.

Upstream of [[Wandsworth Bridge]] a speed limit of {{cvt|8|kn|km/h|0}} is in force for powered craft to protect the riverbank environment and to provide safe conditions for rowers and other river users. There is no absolute speed limit on most of the Tideway downstream of Wandsworth Bridge, although boats are not allowed to create undue wash. Powered boats are limited to 12 knots between [[Lambeth Bridge]] and downstream of Tower Bridge, with some exceptions. Boats can be approved by the [[Harbourmaster|harbour master]] to travel at speeds of up to 30 knots from below Tower Bridge to past the Thames Barrier.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thames Bylaws 2012 |author=Port of London |page=20 |url=http://www.pla.co.uk/assets/120529_Thames_Byelaws1.pdf |access-date=24 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305232657/http://www.pla.co.uk/assets/120529_Thames_Byelaws1.pdf |archive-date=5 March 2014 }}</ref>

====Management====
The administrative powers of the [[Thames Conservancy]] to control river traffic and manage flows have been taken on with some modifications by the [[Environment Agency]] and, in respect of the Tideway part of the river, such powers are split between the agency and the [[Port of London Authority]].

In the Middle Ages [[the Crown]] exercised general jurisdiction over the Thames, one of the four royal rivers, and appointed [[water bailiff]]s to oversee the river upstream of Staines. The City of London exercised jurisdiction over the tidal Thames. However, navigation was increasingly impeded by weirs and mills, and in the 14th century the river probably ceased to be navigable for heavy traffic between Henley and Oxford. In the late 16th century the river seems to have been reopened for navigation from Henley to [[Burcot, Oxfordshire|Burcot]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22808 |title=Victoria County History of Oxfordshire: Rivers and river navigation |publisher=British-history.ac.uk |access-date=17 May 2010 |archive-date=27 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827085632/https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol4/pp284-295 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The first commission concerned with the management of the river was the [[Oxford-Burcot Commission]], formed in 1605 to make the river navigable between Burcot and Oxford.

In 1751 the [[Thames Navigation Commission]] was formed to manage the whole non-tidal river above Staines. The [[City of London]] long claimed responsibility for the tidal river. A long running dispute between the City and the Crown over ownership of the river was not settled until 1857, when the [[Thames Conservancy]] was formed to manage the river from Staines downstream. In 1866 the functions of the Thames Navigation Commission were transferred to the Thames Conservancy, which thus had responsibility for the whole river.

In 1909 the powers of the Thames Conservancy over the tidal river, below Teddington, were transferred to the [[Port of London Authority]].

In 1974 the Thames Conservancy became part of the new [[Thames Water Authority]]. When Thames Water was privatised in 1990, its river management functions were transferred to the [[National Rivers Authority]], in 1996 subsumed into the [[Environment Agency]].

In 2010, the Thames won the world's largest environmental award at the time, the $350,000 International Riverprize, presented at the International Riversymposium in Perth, WA in recognition of the substantial and sustained restoration of the river by many hundreds of organisations and individuals since the 1950s.