Canoeing's governing body has criticised a decision by United Utilities to 'ban paddle boarding' on 165 reservoirs across the north west.
The water company said the move had been done with safety in mind saying paddle boarding and other water sports 'often result in time spent in the water, exposing users to the associated risks'.
But British Canoeing said it 'fundamentally disagreed' with that assessment.
In a statement the governing body said: "British Canoeing is disappointed to learn that United Utilities, who manage 170 sites across the north west, has released a statement banning participation in Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) in all but five of its locations.
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"We do not believe that this unilateral action is justified.
"While we recognise the hazards associated with open bodies of water, with cold water and with ‘operational assets’, we believe that Stand Up Paddleboarding presents no greater risk to participants than activities already permitted on United Utilities assets."
United Utilities said paddle boarding would still be permitted at five locations where it is currently allowed under the terms of existing leases as the company are 'satisfied that it is acceptable in this location, and that appropriate risk assessments have been undertaken and safeguards are in place'.
But the activity would not be permitted at the other 165 reservoirs managed by the UU across the north west.
The statement added: "One of our top priorities is the safety of customers including those who visit our recreational sites.
"We have a very clear policy that we do not allow swimming in our reservoirs which are operational assets; they can have strong currents, hidden machinery, and steep sides, and the very cold water can cause cold water shock which can result in drowning. Sadly, there have been fatalities in our reservoirs.
"Whilst we allow supervised water sports at a small number of sites across the north west under appropriate licencing, we do not want to encourage additional activities where people are likely to spend an extended amount of time in the water.
"We are aware of the growing interest in paddle boarding and other water sports, with the desire of people to find areas of open water to participate in these activities.
"There are many locations across the region where this can be done and we want to be clear that we do not consider operational assets such as reservoirs to be the most suitable place for this activity."
In a further statement, United Utilities said: “Many licensed recreational activities take place at several United Utilities locations across the north west where there is less risk to the safety of people in and on the water and to the machinery that pumps drinking water from those reservoirs.
"We understand the desire of the British Canoeing Association for more people to use our reservoirs for paddle boarding and other activities and we will be discussing this issue further with them.
"Unfortunately, over the last decade 8 people have drowned at our locations and our continuing focus has to be on helping to prevent any more deaths in the reservoirs that we own.”
