Wildlife reserves are being created along the banks of Montgomery Canal in Shropshire.
The project is being run by the Canal and Rivers Trust, who are hoping that boats will be able to use the canal without disturbing the wildlife in the area.
The area near Oswestry is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The nature reserves bordering the banks are home to many species of wildflowers and insects, including dragonflies. The area is also home to otters and water voles.
Closed to boat-users since the 1940s, the canal will be gradually re-opened as reserves are created so that boat users can enjoy a cruise way through the Welsh marches.
Stuart Moodie from the trust said: "What we'd like to do is to bring in tourists to use the canal but to do that in a way that safeguards the wildlife."
Other canals are also being used for wildlife corridors, such as the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal where wildlife groups are putting up dormice boxes to encourage them to nest.