Abberton Reservoir

Abberton Reservoir is a large, shallow freshwater storage reservoir located close to the coast of Essex on the east of England. It is the largest freshwater body in Essex. It lies 5 miles (8.0 km) south-west of Colchester near the village of Layer de la Haye. The reservoir is the fourth largest reservoir in England with an area of 4.9 square kilometres (1,200 acres). It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest,[2][3] and also a Ramsar site,[4] designated an internationally important wetland. It is a Special Protection Area,[5] and it is listed in the Nature Conservation Review.[2] A small part of the site is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.[6]

Abberton Reservoir
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Area of SearchEssex
Grid referenceTL970180
InterestBiological
Area716.3 ha (1,770 acres)
Notification1988
Location mapMagic Map
Abberton Reservoir
Abberton Reservoir
Abberton Reservoir
Coordinates51°49.2′N 00°51.6′E
Lake typeReservoir
Primary inflowspumped from River Stour
Managing agencyEssex and Suffolk Water
Built1939
Surface area4.9 square kilometres (1,200 acres)
Average depth5.25 metres (17.2 ft)
Water volume25.721 million cubic metres (20,852 acre⋅ft)
Surface elevation17.8 m (58 ft)
Designated24 July 1981
Reference no.220[1]

The reservoir contains around 25,000 megalitres (5.5×109 imp gal). It is a pumped storage reservoir, meaning that water is pumped from the rivers Chelmer, Blackwater and Stour to fill it, rather than simply relying on rainfall in the limited catchment area. The reservoir was formed by damming a shallow river valley. Plans to increase the capacity of Abberton reservoir to 41,000 megalitres (9.0×109 imp gal) by raising its bank height[7] were completed in 2015.[8]

Ecology

On its margins are found well-established plant communities that provide important opportunities for feeding, nesting and shelter. Abberton Reservoir is important as an autumn arrival area for waterbirds that then spend the winter elsewhere.

Protected areas

It was designated a Special Protection Area on 5 December 1991[9] as a result of its over-wintering populations of golden plover, gadwall, shoveler and teal and for its breeding population of cormorants. In addition there are significant numbers of black-tailed godwit, lapwing, coot, goldeneye, tufted duck, pochard, pintail, wigeon and great crested grebe.[9]

World War II

The Reservoir was used by the RAF's 617 Squadron ("The Dam Busters") for practice runs for the bombing of the German dams in the Ruhr during World War II (Operation Chastise). Wing Commander Guy Gibson, the leader of the raid, referred to it as "Colchester Lake" in his auto-biography Enemy Coast Ahead. The reservoir was similar in shape to that of the Eder Dam in Germany which was attacked after the Möhne Dam had been breached. The Layer Causeway, from which the photograph was taken, was used as a substitute for the Eder Dam. Military police closed the causeway whilst the practice runs took place. Lancaster bombers fitted with special bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis were used [source?]. The last practice flight to Abberton was a full dress rehearsal of the attack and took place on the night of May 14, 1943; the attack on the dams in Germany took place on the night of May 16, 1943.

The site has a visitor centre on Church Road in Layer-de-la-Haye.[6]

References
  1. "Abberton Reservoir". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. "Abberton Reservoir citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  3. "Map of Abberton Reservoir". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  4. "Designated and Proposed Ramsar sites in the UK and Overseas Territories & Crown Dependencies". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  5. "Abberton Reservoir". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  6. "Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre". Essex Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  7. "The Abberton Scheme - Reservoir enhancement". Essex and Suffolk Water. Retrieved 2012-08-28.
  8. "Abberton Reservoir newly expanded". Ipswich Star. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
  9. "Abberton Reservoir". JNCC. Retrieved 2012-08-28.
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