Derwent Reservoir (North East England)

Not to be confused with Derwent Reservoir (Derbyshire) or Derwentwater.
Derwent Reservoir
Location County Durham / Northumberland
Coordinates 54°52′0″N 1°59′0″W / 54.86667°N 1.98333°W / 54.86667; -1.98333Coordinates: 54°52′0″N 1°59′0″W / 54.86667°N 1.98333°W / 54.86667; -1.98333
Lake type Reservoir
Primary inflows River Derwent
Primary outflows River Derwent
Basin countries United Kingdom

Derwent Reservoir is a reservoir on the River Derwent, on the border between County Durham and Northumberland, in England. It is west of Consett.It is one of the biggest inland waters in England. It is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long) and covers an area of 4 km² and has a maximum depth of 100 ft (30m) and when full, holds 11,000 million gallons (50,000,000m³).[1]

The reservoir is a key part of the water supply network in north east England (which is owned and managed by Northumbrian Water) as it is the principal water source for the Tyne and Wear metropolitan area. Building work began on the reservoir in 1960, and it was opened in 1967 by HRH Princess Alexandra.

The flow of the River Derwent can be supplemented, when necessary, by water transferred from the much larger Kielder Water in Northumberland. However this cannot top up the reservoir itself.

Sediment within the reservoir has been found to contain elevated levels of zinc, lead and cadmium. These have drained into the reservoir from areas of previous mining activity around Blanchland. Consequently, populations of macroscopic plants in the reservoir are relatively low.[2]

Derwent Reservoir also hosts a sailing club, which holds many events throughout the year, including windsurfing, sailing, running and triathlons. The area around the reservoir hosts the annual Tour of the Reservoir cycle race.[3]

The reservoir also has hydro electric plant installed, with a rating of 97 kilowatts.[4]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Derwent Reservoir (North East England).

References

  1. ↑ "Derwent-facts for 40 years" (PDF). www.nwl.co.uk. Northumbrian Water Plc. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  2. ↑ Harding, JPC, Whitten, BA (1978) Zinc, Cadmium and Lead in Water, Sediment and Submerged Plants of the Derwent Reservoir, Northern England. Water Research, Vol. 12, p307-316.
  3. ↑ "Tougher reservoir race brings top names to the region" (Press release). Northumbrian Water. 2013-04-24. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  4. ↑ "Derwent". www.r-e-a.net. Retrieved 5 August 2009.


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