In 1955, an Act of Parliament authorised the closure of the canal, along with several others, covering in total. The Inland Waterways Association organised several protest meetings, and the one held in Lancaster led to the formation of the Lancaster Canal Boat Club. One immediate effect of the 1955 Act of Parliament was that the canal was drained of water north from Stainton because of leakage, and the last in Kendal were filled in. Although it was officially closed, pleasure boats continued to use the section below Tewitfield. Above the locks, a section at Burton was drained because of problems with leakage, and a pipe replaced the canal, so that the water supply to the lower canal was maintained. This effectively ended navigation north of Tewitfield, so that when the M6 motorway was being constructed, the canal was culverted in three places, despite a local campaign for bridges to be built, so that restoration would be possible in the future.