Passages for water or communication (8)
I believe the answer is:
channels
'passages for water or communication' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for channels that I've seen before include "Straits" , "Parts that are deep enough for navigation by ships" , "Television stations and passages of water" , "Passages for water or routes for communication" , "Official routes of communication" .)