West Baldwin Reservoir

West Baldwin Reservoir is a reservoir on the Isle of Man, about north of Douglas which it supplies. It was constructed by building a dam across the valley of the River Glass. It is operated by the Isle of Man Water Authority.

History

Construction of the dam started in 1900 by the Douglas Corporation Water Works Department. A railway was first built, including nine wooden bridges over the River Glen, to transport the required material to site. The construction was finished in 1904.

Dam

The reservoir's dam was completed in 1904. It is an earth fill embankment dam, high, which required some of earth to build. There is a vertical puddle clay core supported by zoned earth fill shoulders. The higher part of the upstream shoulder is faced in dry rubble pitching about 60 centimetres thick. The crest and downstream shoulder are grassed.

Use

The reservoir supplies Douglas, Onchan and the south of the island. Water can also be pumped from the Sulby Reservoir.