The IWA interest in the Driffield Navigation goes back as early as 1952 when the then Secretary, 'Teddy' Edwards, sought details of the state of the Navigation, commenting that when he had traveled up it in 1946 the third lock was inoperable and the channel was in a poor state. The Secretary of the Brigham Sailing Club recorded their interest in the Waterway and the Club became a Corporate Members of the IWA. Thus a watching brief over the state of the Waterway was maintained. The first major chance to have the navigation restored came in 1959 when the North East branch of the IWA heard that the Hull Corporation was proposing to spend some £197,000 on Improving its water supply via the Canal. At that stage a further £17,000. to pay for one pair of gates at each of four locks and both pairs of gates at one further lock, together with the dredging was all that was required to restore the Navigation. After a long fought campaign, with a petition to the Hull Corporation, the battle was lost on the grounds that to restore the Navigation could lead to the pollution of the Hull Water Supply!!

By June 1964 the prospects for revival looked even more grim. The East Riding County Council made an application for the abandonment of the Navigation on a small section of the Canal under Wansford Bridge, so that they could replace the dilapidated swing bridge with a new fixed structure. The North East Branch of the IWA did what they could to fight the proposal but lack of a formal local canal protection group hampered the task. It appears that the then acting Clerk of the Navigation, Mr. Rennison, agreed to the proposal (although he had no legal authority to act) and the bridge was reconstructed. Thus permanently cutting off the top 2½ miles of the Navigation.

The final blow came in 1968 when the swing bridge above Struncheon Hill lock, called Bethell's Bridge became inoperable. This effectively cut off the section of water used by the two Brigham Sailing Clubs from any large craft that wished to come up stream. One of the sailing Club members, Mr. H. Y. Tailor. wanted to use the bridge and swing it aside to let his vessel through. It would not work. Rather than let matters rest he called a meeting of the sailing club members and other interested parties to form a local action group. Thus the Driffield Navigation Amenity Association was formed. This recognition that some one somewhere has to do something is the driving force behind the work of the Association. It is composed of representatives of the two sailing clubs, the anglers, the Ramblers Association, and several independent members who use the waterway, and a landowner. The IWA is also represented. The main task of the Association has been geared to resolve the problems created by the lack of effective Navigation Commissioners. The Waterway, apart from the navigation works, is well maintained by the Water Authority who are duty bound to keep the channel wide and deep and weed free. They also maintain the banks, although they are not the landowners, as part of their mandate to maintain the drainage of the area. The DNAA has thus not had to organise large working parties or fight battles with the Water Authority to get the channel dredged, but had been faced with the daunting task of finding a way to restore the Navigation Commissioners.