Haweswater Reservoir

Haweswater is a reservoir in the valley of Mardale, Cumbria in the Lake District, England. The man-made reservoir, which was created by damming the original natural lake, was completed by 1935. It raised the water level in the valley by 29 m (95 ft). The valley was dammed by Manchester Corporation, after it had obtained permission from the UK Parliament through the passing of the Manchester Corporation Act 1919 (9 & 10 Geo. 5. c. cxix). The local act of Parliament was for the supply of drinking water to Manchester. However, the decision caused public outcry because the farming villages of Measand and Mardale Green would be lost when Mardale was flooded. Construction work on the dam began in 1929. Haweswater was completely flooded by 1935. The reservoir is now owned and managed by United Utilities. It supplies about 25% of North West England's water supply.