The route of the canal south from Kendal is still readily apparent, with most of the bridges remaining in place. Although severed by the motorway construction, it was not drained because the channel was used to supply water to a pipeline which ran from the canal near Garstang to a chemical works near Fleetwood. As a result, this section can still be used by small boats. In 1976, the Lancaster Canal Trust mounted a campaign for the construction of slipways on this section, to make the launching of boats easier, which proved to be successful, as they were used at Easter 1978, when a boat rally was held on the upper reaches.