Editing Derwent Reservoir (Derbyshire) (section)

== History ==
[[File:Derwentoverflow.JPG|thumb|left|Derwent Dam in full flow (11 July 2007)]]
The [[Industrial Revolution]] and [[Urbanization|urbanisation]] of the 19th century created huge demand for water in the industrial cities of the [[East Midlands]] and [[South Yorkshire]]. The proximity of [[Sheffield]] and its neighbours to the Upper Derwent valley were thus factors in the decision to dam the valley to create the Howden and Derwent reservoirs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Derwent Valley reservoirs |url=https://www.ice.org.uk/what-is-civil-engineering/what-do-civil-engineers-do/derwent-valley-reservoirs#:~:text=The%20first%202%20dams%20%E2%80%93%20Howden,in%20finding%20materials%20and%20labour. |website=Institution of Civil Engineers }}</ref>

Construction of the neo-[[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic]] solid masonry dam began in 1902, a year after the building of Howden commenced, and proved a mammoth task. The chief engineer was Edward Sandeman. He was also in charge of building nearby Howden dam and he was awarded the [[Telford Medal]] in 1918 for his work ‘Derwent Valley Waterworks’. The huge stones that formed the walls of the dam were carried along a specially created railway from the quarries at Bole Hill near [[Grindleford]]. Over 1,000 workers lived in a specially constructed self-contained town called [[Birchinlee]]<ref>Richards, Julian (2007-01). Peak Secrets: Upper Derwent Valley. 1400productions, January 2007. Originally retrieved from http://www.1400productions.com/showreel.htm. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929103120/http://www.1400productions.com/showreel.htm |date=29 September 2007 }}</ref> or "Tin Town". One of the metal huts was preserved and moved to the village of [[Hope, Derbyshire|Hope]], where it is now a hairdressing salon. The workers who died during the building of the dam were buried in [[St John the Baptist's Church, Bamford|Bamford Church]].{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

The filling of the reservoir began in November 1914, and overflowed for the first time in January 1916, with the water almost immediately passing into supply. The dam can support a total of {{convert|9.64|e6m3|abbr=off}} of water.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

Only two years after the dam's completion in 1916, it was decided that the flow from the reservoir was insufficient to support the surrounding population. As a result, between 1920 and 1931 the rivers [[River Alport|Alport]] and [[River Ashop|Ashop]] were also diverted from the Ashop valley into the reservoir using tunnels and a [[Venturi flume]].{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

The diversion helped hold back water during the construction of the [[Ladybower Reservoir]] to the south, which was constructed between 1935 and 1945.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}