Kielder Water was opened 35 years ago
IT’S 35 years since Kielder Water in Northumberland was officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip.
Sometimes derided during its early days as a “£167m white elephant”, it is today hailed as one the region’s greatest assets.
It was designed to meet the water demands of the whole North East well into the future.
Situated in Northumberland’s North Tyne Valley, water released from Kielder can supply Tyneside, Wearside and Teesside, more than 80 miles away.
Three and a half decades on, from the formalities of May 26, here’s the story of Kielder Water in 35 facts.
1. Northumbrian Water’s Kielder Water is the largest man-made lake in Northern Europe by capacity. It is the reservoir that supplies the Kielder Water Scheme.
2. After the Kielder Water Scheme was put on the agenda, a public inquiry was commissioned in 1972. The initial sessions, held over six weeks at Newcastle Civic Centre, heard nearly 200 objections before the inspector recommended the scheme go ahead.
3. The Kielder Water Scheme is a regional transfer system that can release water from Kielder Water in the North West of the region into the Rivers Tyne. Wear, Derwent and Tees.
4. Discharge into each river is by cascade spillway, which encourages reoxgenation of the water, which may have been retained in the tunnel for some time.
5. Kielder Water cost £167m to build. Construction began in 1975 and the reservoir was opened by the Queen on May 26, 1982.
6. The reservoir is capable of holding 44,000 million gallons of water.
7. Manpower on the construction reached peaks of 1,500 engineers and construction workers.
8. The reservoir took two years to fill with water after it was completed.
9. It has a surface area of 2,740 acres.
10. Its shoreline, including Bakethin, is 27 miles and the depth is 52 metres (170 feet) at the deepest point.
11. Kielder Dam is 1.2km long and 52m high and is constructed of glacial clay originally deposited more than 15,000 years ago.
12. Water release is controlled from the valve tower, which stands 70m (230 feet) high (the height of a 23-storey building).
13. A water release of Kielder’s maximum 1,300 million litres per day can produce enough power to illuminate a town the size of nearby Hexham (population 11,000)
14. Over the years, the lake has come into its own, with underground springs ensuring that it always remains at high levels, regardless of the prevailing climate condition.
15. The North East region benefits from a complex water grid system which, using a mixture of gravity and pumps, can move water from its 22 reservoirs to the rivers Tyne, Wear and Tees.
16. On the shores of Kielder Water stands Kielder Forest, England’s largest working forest.
17. Together they form Kielder Water & Forest Park, one of Britain’s leading tourist destinations, welcoming an estimated 410,000 visitors in 2016.
18. An estimated annual visitor spend of £24.4 million supports 450 jobs in the local economy.
19. The area is designated as having the darkest skies in England, with a second Kielder Observatory being built in 2017 to complement the original observatory that overlooks the lake.
20. Kielder Water works closely with Northumberland Wildlife Trust and other partners to develop and protect the local wildlife.
21. Following a 150-year absence, ospreys returned to Kielder in 2009. The birds have bred successfully in Northumberland every season since the species returned to the
North East.
22. Following a record-breaking year in 2016, it is hoped that this year will see another exciting season for local residents and visitors alike. The first two ospreys have already returned.
23. Last year was the most successful breeding season since the return of the species, with 11 chicks fledging across the four nests.
24. Osprey cams set up on nests feed live action back to the visitor centres at the Forestry Commission’s Kielder Castle and Northumbrian Water’s Kielder Waterside.
25. The rise of the American mink has seen the water vole decline in population and lose around 94% of their former range in Great Britain.
26. Restoring Ratty is an ambitious five-year partnership project aimed at the reintroduction of the water vole to Northumbrian Water’s Kielder Water Forest Park.
27. Kielder Water & Forest Park is also home to around 50% of England’s native red squirrel population, the last remaining stronghold in the country.
28. The Kielder Art & Architecture programme has turned Kielder Water & Forest Park into an art gallery and, as well as providing a home to work by more established artists, created a venue where students can display their pieces.
29. The programme includes a range of permanent and temporary artwork and, in 2016 this involved ten pieces by students of Newcastle University. Recently, a brand new “midgie-proof” bird hide at Bakethin, designed and created by the students was opened.
30. A full year-round activities schedule adds to the visitor offering at Kielder Water & Forest Park.
31. Highlights include Osprey Watch, the Active Northumberland Kielder Marathon Weekend, daily events at the Kielder Observatory, and fishing.
32. More than 3,000 people took part in the 2016 Kielder Marathon and other races across the weekend.
33. The Weekend also includes a half marathon, run bike run, 10k race and children’s events.
34. Finally, the construction of the lake saw the loss of a number of farms, houses and a school, with some families being forced to move out of the area.
35. However, it’s a myth that long lost villages lie under Kielder Water. Before the lake was created, all the houses and buildings were flattened and all the materials were taken away. There is nothing there today.