Reservoirs

G

Garrett

Well-Known Member
Say, as I've been virtually roaming over the Summer Wine Country, with Claye and Terry's help, I've noticed the large number of reservoirs dotting the landscape of east Yorkshire (Deer Hill Reservoir, Blackmoorfoot, Butterley, Wessenden, etc.)

I was just curious what these are all for. Do they provide water for the towns in the area? Or generate electricity? Or are they a flood control system?

Anyone out there know?
 
Garrett said:
Say, as I've been virtually roaming over the Summer Wine Country, with Claye and Terry's help, I've noticed the large number of reservoirs dotting the landscape of east Yorkshire (Deer Hill Reservoir, Blackmoorfoot, Butterley, Wessenden, etc.)

I was just curious what these are all for. Do they provide water for the towns in the area? Or generate electricity? Or are they a flood control system?

Anyone out there know?
Click to expand...

I suspect they will be feeding water to the major towns and cities like Manchester,Leeds,Sheffield etc etc, in England with make very little use for power out of these,yet Scotland and Wales do
 
Garrett said:
Say, as I've been virtually roaming over the Summer Wine Country, with Claye and Terry's help, I've noticed the large number of reservoirs dotting the landscape of east Yorkshire (Deer Hill Reservoir, Blackmoorfoot, Butterley, Wessenden, etc.)

I was just curious what these are all for. Do they provide water for the towns in the area? Or generate electricity? Or are they a flood control system?

Anyone out there know?
Click to expand...

Your reference to east Yorkshire threw me because as far as I can ascertain they are either in West Yorkshire or Derbyshire. Butterley, if it is the same one, is interesting:
"Butterley Reservoir is a reservoir in Derbyshire, England. The reservoir was built to provide water for the Cromford Canal which opened foe use in 1794. The Codnor Park and Butterley Park reservoirs also provided water to the Cromford Canal. The currently disused Cromford Canal passes beneath the reservoir along the Butterley Tunnel. When the canal tunnel was in use water was provided to the canal directly from the reservoir via an adit which connects to the Butterley tunnel."

Wessenden is also in Derbyshire, I think, and like the other two was built to supply water to Huddersfield.

For use to generate electricity (hydro-electricity like here in Scotland) a much more continuous supply of water is required. These reservoirs can run very low in summer.
 
Duuhh! Of course, you're right Unc. WEST Yorkshire. Sorry, it was late and I was tired.

That is indeed interesting about Butterley. Thanks for the info. Actually, I suspected that some of these reservoirs might have been built to feed canals as well.

About generating hydro, I wondered if they might not use a system of pumping water into the reservoirs at night, when consumption is low, and then releasing the water during peak times during the day.

But I guess providing water for urban waterworks (and canals) is the most likely reason.
 
Regarding the Cromford Canal we were taking the grandkids for a walk along the towpath from Matlock Bath some years ago when we discovered that the pump house was having an 'open day'. We took the family inside so the youngsters could see the pump working. They were not too bothered by the machine but imagine their surprise when we got back on the towpath to see the water pumping into the canal. It was some time ago now but I got the impression that they were extracting water from the river that passed nearby(Derwent??) However if they were extracting from the reservoir it was a fair way to pump We walked to the tunnel and had to carry the young ones back ( small feet were dragging.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top