[2] On 2 July 2012, all of British Waterways' assets and responsibilities in England and Wales were transferred to the newly founded charity the Canal & River Trust.

[3][4] In Scotland, British Waterways continues to operate as a standalone public corporation under the trading name Scottish Canals.

By the final years of its existence, British Waterways was sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in England and Wales, and by the Scottish Government in Scotland.

[7][8] In addition to the watercourses, British Waterways also cared for and owned 2,555 listed structures[9] including seventy scheduled monuments.

The last regular coal long-distance narrow-boat-carrying contract, from Atherstone to the Kearley and Tonge jam factory at Southall near London, ended in October 1970,[12] although lime juice continued to be carried by narrow boat from Brentford to Boxmoor until 1981, and aggregate from Thurmaston to Syston from 1976 until 1988.

However, these obligations were subject to the caveat of being by the most economical means and BWB had no requirement to maintain remainder waterways or keep them in a navigable condition.

[11] By the early 2000s, boating numbers had overtaken the previous industrial revolution high[11] and the canal network was officially classed as 'safe' following the completion of all outstanding safety works.

[11] Its plans involved moving to become a charitable trust, in charge of the current canal systems in addition to acquiring other waterways, such as those operated by the Environment Agency.

[14] In March 2010, the plans were given a boost when the government announced in the Budget that it intended to turn BW into a mutual organisation, but no further details were released.

BW welcomed the announcement, with the chairman Tony Hales stating that the plan would preserve the canals and their associated infrastructure, and "safeguard against a return to the decline and dereliction which they faced in the last century".

[21] At the strategic level, there were ten non-executive board members, who were led by the chairman (in the final phase of operations, Tony Hales), and appointed by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Scottish Government (eight by the former and two by the latter).

The website worked alongside the Environment Agency and the Broads Authority[28] and covered all canals, rivers and waterways in England, Scotland and Wales.