Derwent Valley Water Board

The Derwent Valley Water Board was constituted by Act of Parliament in 1899 to supply the cities of Derby, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield, and the county of Derbyshire, with water impounded by a series of reservoirs along the upper reaches of the River Derwent in the Peak District of Derbyshire.

The Board’s works included the following reservoirs:

• Howden, capacity 1,980 million imperial gallons (9,000,000 m³), formed by a masonry dam 117 feet (36 m) high and 1,080 feet (330 m) long.
• Derwent, capacity 2,120 million imperial gallons (9,600,000 m³), formed by a masonry dam 114 feet (35 m) high and 1,110 feet (340 m) long.
• Ladybower, capacity 6,310 million imperial gallons (28,700,000 m³), formed by an earth embankment 140 feet (43 m) high and 1,250 feet (380 m) long.

The Board was abolished in 1974 under the terms of the Water Act 1973 (1973 c.37) and responsibility for the works was transferred to the new Severn Trent Water Authority.

References

• The Derwent Valley Water Board's Undertaking (1972)
• Water Act 1973 (1973 c.37)
• https://archive.org/stream/engineeringwonde03willuoft/engineeringwonde03willuoft_djvu.txt
• http://apps.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/onlinelists/GB0288%20DL76.pdf