Reservoirs and dams, large bodies of man made water

IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
Thought of this thread at the weekend. We drove to the Castelo de Bode dam and looked at the attached reservoir/lake thing. It's one thing to see the pictures but there is something incredible about realising you're standing on something holding back so much water. Not to mention the enormous drop on the other side. Just a huge structure.

1491_barragem_castelo_de_bode25_58fa34e4aeeff.jpg


When we were there on Sunday a load of traders had set up stalls on that slightly wider bit at the left side and they were selling fruit and stuff.... but mainly beer.

1491_barragem_castelo_de_bode23_58fa372522f10.jpg


Apparently you can get down to the lake and swim but we couldn't find the way through. Instead we went to see a neolithic burial site nearby (just a pile of stones really) that has been dated to 7,500 years ago.
 
jenks

jenks

thread death
I stayed just outside Howard last week just above one of the chain of reservoirs built in the 19thC to bring clean water to the area. The Bronte’s father was instrumental in addressing the squalor and disease which had not only laid waste to his family but also the local community- water would run down, through the over-packed cemetery full of diseased corpses to a common well at the bottom of the town centre.
I suppose I hadn’t really thought about how/why they got there but this was quite illuminating on the human cost:http://bancroftsfromyorkshire.blogspot.com/2011/08/construction-of-ponden-and.html?m=1
 
Murphy

Murphy

cat malogen
The Elan Valley is an experience. Bit of a trek and impossible to get to now the border is effectively closed, but lost count of the times visited. Spectacular in autumn.

There are a series of reservoirs that creep up the valley itself. Craggy cliffs, that mossy network of tree roots everywhere, then as the altitude shifts up all of a sudden you’re up above them with moors and peat bogs either side of the road.

Even better to spend the night, so black sky’s pantheon of stars beam back at you. Summers can be a bit too midgey but hope to return next spring. Kids love it. Check it in google images, the whole water basin network gives Brum most of its annual water supply. My Mum says they should turn the supply off and burn their holiday homes.
 
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