The Blue Ribbon Network is a policy element of the London Plan

London Plan

The London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London, England in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The plan was first published in final form on 10 February 2004 and has since been amended. The current version was published in February 2008...

 relating to the naviagable waterway

Waterway

A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...

s of London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

.

Aside from the River Thames

River Thames

The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...

, the major components of the network are:

1. Grand Union Canal
   Grand Union Canal
   The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
   
   
2. Regent's Canal
   Regent's Canal
   Regent's Canal is a canal across an area just north of central London, England. It provides a link from the Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal, just north-west of Paddington Basin in the west, to the Limehouse Basin and the River Thames in east London....
   
   
3. River Lee Navigation
   River Lee Navigation
   The Lee Navigation is a canalised river incorporating the River Lea . Its course runs from Hertford Castle Weir all the way to the River Thames at Bow Creek. The first lock of the navigation is Hertford Lock the last being Bow Locks....
   
   
4. River Brent
   River Brent
   The Brent is a river within Greater London which is a tributary of the River Thames. It is 17.9 miles long, running north-east to south-west, and it joins the Thames on the Tideway at Brentford, Hounslow.- Hydronymy and etymology :...
   
   
5. River Roding
   River Roding
   The River Roding is a river in England that rises near Dunmow, flows through Essex and forms Barking Creek as it reaches the River Thames in London....
   
   
6. River Rom
   River Rom
   The River Rom, also in places known as the River Beam, is a tributary of the River Thames in England that flows through the north east London suburbs, forming the boundary between the London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham and Havering in the south and flowing through channels underneath Romford...
   
   
7. River Crane
   River Crane, London
   The River Crane is a river in west London, England, and is a tributary of the River Thames.-Location:The River Crane is 8.5 miles in length...
   
   
8. Beverley Brook
   Beverley Brook
   Beverley Brook is a minor English urban river about 14.3 km long located in south-west London. It rises at Cuddington Recreation Park in Worcester Park, flows through Motspur Park, New Malden, Wimbledon Common, Richmond Park and Barnes...
   
   
9. River Wandle
   River Wandle
   The River Wandle is a river in south-east England. The names of the river and of Wandsworth are thought to have derived from the Old English "Wendlesworth" meaning "Wendle's Settlement". The river runs through southwest London and is about long...
   
   
10. Ravensbourne River
11. Silk Stream
    Silk Stream
    The Silk Stream is a brook in the London Borough of Barnet. It is one of the major components of the Blue Ribbon Network.The Silk Stream is a tributary of the River Brent, which it joins at Brent Reservoir. It has several tributaries including Burnt Oak Brook, Edgware Brook, the Edgwarebury Brook...
    
    
12. Pymmes Brook
    Pymmes Brook
    Pymmes Brook is located in North London and named after William Pymme, a local land owner. It is a minor tributary of the River Lea. The brook mostly flows through urban areas and is particularly prone to flooding in its lower reaches. To alleviate the problem the brook has been culverted in many...
    
    
13. Salmons Brook
    Salmons Brook
    Salmons Brook is located in the London Borough of Enfield and is a minor tributary of the River Lea. - Etymology :Salmons Brook is marked thus on Rocque's map of 1754, probably named from the family of John Salemon of Edmonton mentioned in 1274...
    
    
14. Moselle Brook
15. Ingrebourne River
16. River Cray
    River Cray
    The River Cray is a tributary of the River Darent in southern England. It rises in Priory Gardens in Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley, where rainwater permeates the chalk bedrock and forms a pond at the boundary between the chalk and impermeable clay...
    
    

The network also includes docks, reservoirs and lakes and covered over

Subterranean rivers of London

The subterranean or underground rivers of London are the tributaries of the River Thames and River Lea that were built over during the growth of the metropolis of London...

sections of rivers. The London Plan promotes the use of the waterways for leisure, passenger and tourist traffic, and the transport of freight and general goods. The canal part of the network makes up 90km of waterway. The London Waterways Commission advises the Mayor of London on the implementation of the waterways policies.