- Chasewater
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For other uses, see Chasewater (disambiguation).
Chasewater 
A view across Jeffrey's SwagLocation England Opening date 1797 Owner(s) Staffordshire County Council Dam and spillways Type of dam Embankment dam Height 13m Length 560m Crest width 15m Base width 70m Impounds Crane Brook Spillways 1 Type of spillway Chute Reservoir Capacity 3,691,400m3 Catchment area 9km2 Surface area 1,080,0002 Normal elevation 152m Reservoir length 2,040m Max. reservoir width 610m Hydraulic head 8m Chasewater is a 3-square-kilometre reservoir in the parish of Burntwood,[1] in the district of Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. Originally known as Norton Pool, it was created as a canal feeder reservoir in the 18th Century and remains the largest in use in the region today.[2]
Contents
History
Work on building the reservoir started in 1796 and it was opened on 8 May 1797. In May 1799 the eastern dam burst, sending millions of gallons of water down the valley towards Shenstone. Work started soon to rebuild the dam which re-opened on 2 January 1800 to supply water to the Wyrley & Essington Canal, and it quickly became a profit-centre for the canal company, selling water to other canals in the area. The canal was bought by the Birmingham Canal Navigations in 1840.
Legislation to close the canal was enacted in 1954. However, much of it remained in use as a feeder from the reservoir to the rest of the BCN system. The reservoir became known as Norton Pool. Brownhills Urban District Council purchased Norton Pool in 1956 for £5,600 which was for a total area of 272 acres (1 km²) and 2 cottages, from the British Transport Commission and renamed it Chasewater, after nearby Cannock Chase.
There is a smaller body of water known locally as Jeffrey's Swag that drains into the main body of Chasewater. The two are separated by a causeway carrying the Chasewater Railway.
When, in 1974, the West Midlands county was created from parts of Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, the new Staffordshire-West Midlands border cut though the reservoir, running South-East from near Jeffrey's Swag to near the mid-point, then turning an approximate right-angle to the North-East.[3] In around 1994, the western/southern shores of Chasewater, plus Jeffreys Swag, were 'moved' from the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, then the west Midlands, back into Staffordshire. The West Midland Bird Club, who maintain the official county bird lists for both counties, counted sightings at Chasewater as being in Staffordshire, throughout this period.
Flora and fauna
The Chasewater habitat supports several rare plant and animal species including:[4]
- Floating Water-plantain (Luronium natans)
- Round-leaved Wintergreen (Pyrola rotundifolia)
- the carnivorous Round-leaved Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)
- Adder’s tongue (Erythronium)
- Black spleenwort (Asplenium adiantum-nigrum)
- Goldeneye Duck (Bucephala)
- Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
Today
Cycling and sailing are popular activities at Chasewater
The surrounding area is designated as a country park. The reservoir hosts a variety of activities including water skiing, sailing, angling and bird watching. Running around Chasewater is the Chasewater Railway.
The large house situated half way along the dam wall was originally the weirmaster's cottage. The weirmaster would walk up to the small hexagonal building, constructed to the same design as BCN tollhouses, and operate the weir to release water from Chasewater reservoir into the canal. The weir is now computer controlled and the house is owned and lived in by the Downs family.
The road over the dam had to be closed to through traffic when it was feared that the eighteenth century structure might be unable to cope with both the volume of water and heavy vehicles. Given the need to retain traditional water levels in the reservoir for both sailing and canal use, dropping the level of the water behind the dam was not deemed feasible. Subsequently the construction of the M6 Toll between the reservoir and the A5 required the construction of a new bridge over the motorway to access the southern side of the lake, where an Innovation Centre provides enhanced access to the waterfront. Selling land for motorway construction also allowed the Chasewater Railway to construct new premises and a large engine shed on the lake side.
Dam repair
Chasewater is currently empty as the reservoir has been drained to allow engineers access to the dam, which is in need of repairs. It is projected that the £3 million repairs will commence in late December 2010, ending in 2011, followed by a further three years for the reservoir to be completely refilled.[5][6][7] British Waterways has expressed concern that the interruption in the supply of water to the BCN may lead to water shortages and restrictions to boating.
When it was emptied, two World War II-era bombs were discovered on the newly exposed reservoir bed. They were determined to be inert and later removed.[8]
Panorama of Chasewater drained for maintenance in 2010
See also
References
- ^ "Area: Burntwood CP (Parish)". Office for National Statistics. 2. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadDownNav.do?a=7&b=799437&c=Burntwood&d=16&e=16&g=485193&i=1001x1003x1018&m=0&r=1&s=1248267980078&enc=1&sampleAreaId=6094749&largeMap=true. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
- ^ "Waterscape - Chasewater". Waterscape. http://www.waterscape.com/canals-and-rivers/chasewater.
- ^ Ordnance Survey Landranger Sheet 139, 1982 edition
- ^ "An Introduction to Chasewater & the Chasewater Wildlife Group". Chasewater Wildlife Group. http://www.chasewater.org.uk/introduction.htm. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
- ^ "Chasewater Country Park". Lichfield District Council. 2010. http://www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/chasewater. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
- ^ "Repairs start on Chasewater Dam in Staffordshire". BBC News. 2010-02-09. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/8507103.stm. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
- ^ Griffin, Ian (25 August 2010). "Dam upgrade work project worth £3m". Leicester Mercury (Leicester). http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/Dam-upgrade-work-project-worth-163-3m/article-2564782-detail/article.html. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
- ^ "Bombs found at Chasewater reservoir". BBC News. 2010-03-02. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/8546504.stm. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
External links
Categories:- Nature reserves in Staffordshire
- Canal reservoirs in England
- Geography of Staffordshire
- Walsall
- Birmingham Canal Navigations
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