Editing River Great Ouse (section)

===Navigation connections===
[[File:GreatOuse-StNeots.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.0|The Great Ouse at St Neots]]

The non-tidal reaches of the river are used for leisure boating, but remain largely separated from the rest of the British inland waterway system. Several of its tributaries are navigable, including the [[River Cam]], the River Lark, the River Little Ouse and the River Wissey. Close to Denver sluice, Salters Lode lock gives access to the [[Middle Level Navigations]],<ref>{{harvnb |Cumberlidge |2009 |pp=228–229}}</ref> but the intervening section is tidal, and deters many boaters. Access to the Middle Level Navigations used to be possible via the Old Bedford River and Welches Dam lock, but the Environment Agency piled the entrance to the lock in 2006 and this route is no loger available for navigation. The proposed [[Fens Waterways Link]], which aims to improve navigation from [[Lincoln, Lincolnshire|Lincoln]] to [[Cambridge]] may result in this section being upgraded, or a non-tidal link being created at Denver.<ref name=jane7>{{harvnb |Cumberlidge |2009 |pp=7–8}}</ref>

There are two more proposed schemes to improve connections from the river to the Midlands waterway network (in addition to the Gt Ouse{{spaced ndash}}[[River Nene|Nene]] link via the Middle Level).
*The first is for a [[Grand Union Canal#Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway|Bedford and Milton Keynes waterway]], to connect the river to the [[Grand Union Canal]]. This idea was first proposed in 1812, when [[John Rennie the Elder]] costed a {{cvt|15|mi|km|adj=on}} junction canal from [[Fenny Stratford]] to Bedford. His estimate of £180,807 scared investors, and no progress was made.<ref name=boyes/> In 1838, there was another (failed) proposal to extend the [[Newport Pagnell Canal]].<ref name=jane5>{{harvnb |Cumberlidge |2009 |pp=5–6}}</ref> The idea was revived once more in the 1880s, when the Ouse River Canal and Steam Navigation Ltd bought the river with the aim of creating the link. A bill for an enabling act of Parliament was defeated, although Major Marindin, acting for the Board of Trade, was optimistic about the likely benefits.<ref name=boyes/> The modern version of the proposal is in progress since 1994, by the [[Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust|Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Trust]], who have formed a partnership with 25 bodies, including local councils, [[British Waterways]] (and its successor, the [[Canal & River Trust]]) and various government agencies. A feasibility study was carried out in 2001, which looked at nine possible routes; by 2006, the cost of the preferred route was between £100 and £200&nbsp;million.<ref name=jane5/>
*The second scheme is for an extension of the Great Ouse Relief Channel to link it to the [[River Nar]], and provide a non-tidal link to King's Lynn. The project would include a large marina, and would be part of a much larger regeneration project for the south side of the town.<ref name=jane7/> Two locks would be required to raise boats from the Relief Channel to the River Nar.<ref>[http://www.waterways.org.uk/Waterways/PrincipalNavigations/RiverNartotheGreatOuseFloodReliefChannelLinkUnderRestoration Inland Waterways Association: ''Kings Lynn to the Great Ouse Flood Relief Channel Link''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204181537/http://www.waterways.org.uk/Waterways/PrincipalNavigations/RiverNartotheGreatOuseFloodReliefChannelLinkUnderRestoration |date=4 December 2008 }}, accessed 10 October 2009</ref>