West Baldwin Reservoir

West Baldwin Reservoir (or Injebreck Reservoir, locally) is a reservoir on the Isle of Man, about 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Douglas which it supplies. It was constructed by building a dam across a valley, and flooding the valley. Remains of a village in the valley can still be seen when the reservoir level is low. It is operated by the Isle of Man Water Authority.

West Baldwin Reservoir
West Baldwin Reservoir is located in Isle of Man
West Baldwin Reservoir
West Baldwin Reservoir
West Baldwin Reservoir is located in the United Kingdom
West Baldwin Reservoir
West Baldwin Reservoir
Coordinates54°13′10″N 4°31′00″W / 54.21944°N 4.51667°W / 54.21944; -4.51667
TypeReservoir
Catchment area5.55 square kilometres (1,370 acres)
Basin countriesIsle of Man
Surface area16.8 hectares (42 acres)
Max. depth21.6 m (71 ft)
Water volume1,364,000 m3 (1,106 acre⋅ft)
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History

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Construction of the dam started in 1900 by the Douglas Corporation Water Works Department. A railway was first built, including nine wooden bridges over the River Glen, to transport the required material to site. The construction was finished in 1904.

The reservoir's dam was completed in 1904. It is an earth fill embankment dam, 22.5 metres (74 ft) high, which required some 500,000 long tons (510,000 t) of earth to build. There is a vertical puddle clay core supported by zoned earth fill shoulders. The higher part of the upstream shoulder is faced in dry rubble pitching about 60 centimetres (2 ft) thick. The crest and downstream shoulder are grassed.[1]

The reservoir supplies Douglas, Onchan and the south of the island. Water can also be pumped from the Sulby Reservoir.

References

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