URPoint Details
Abberton Reservoir is an artificial body of water located close to the coast and 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, and also a Ramsar site designated an internationally important wetland. It is a Special Protection Area, and listed in the Nature Conservation Review. A small part of the site is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust. It is a large, shallow, freshwater storage reservoir and is the largest freshwater body in Essex. The reservoir contains around 25,000 megalitres (5.5×109 imp gal). It is a pumped storage reservoir. This means 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 were completed in 2015
On its margins are found well-established plant communities that provide important opportunities for
- Type:
- Landmark