A £7 million project to strengthen the 200-year-old embankments at Wilstone Reservoir, Hertfordshire, is complete.
THE 14-month programme of statutory safety works at the reservoir near Tring, required under the Reservoir Act, included driving 1400 steel piles into the structure’s 1350m-long embankments to strengthen them.
Built in 1802 to supply water to the Grand Union Canal, today it is part of the Tring Reservoirs Nature Reserve Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and popular with walkers, fishermen and bird-watchers. At 119 acres, Wilstone Reservoir is the largest of the four at Tring; it is up to 5.5m deep and has the capacity to hold more than 1000 mega litres of water – the equivalent of about 450 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
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Ros Daniels, the Canal & River Trust’s London & South East director, said: “Wilstone Reservoir provides an important place for water storage for the Grand Union Canal and has also become a popular site for angling, walking and bird watching.
“These works, carried out by our contractor Kier, will secure it for future generations. As well as strengthening the embankment, we’ve repaired the reservoir’s culvert, used to draw off water in emergencies.
“We have also improved public access to the site by levelling and resurfacing the reservoir crest footpath and a 200m section of the wooded area to the north side of the reservoir. We have resurfaced the car park, installed new steps and created nine new seating areas along the south-west embankment.
“To minimise disruption, the works were carried out using land-based equipment. This meant we didn’t need to drain the reservoir, so it was able to supply the Grand Union Canal last year, helping to keep it open for longer during the drought. The reservoir, which is groundwater-fed, has been refilling as usual over the early months of the year.”
Eddie Quinn, managing director for environment at Kier Infrastructure, added: “Improving the resilience of our UK reservoirs is important for our water security, creates vital habitats where wildlife can thrive, and places that people can enjoy.”
Later this year, the trust is planning a series of biodiversity improvements, including reed bed enhancements within the Wilstone Reservoir nature reserve area and gap planting in its hedgerows.
