Crowdy Reservoir


Crowdy Reservoir is located on Bodmin Moor near Camelford in north Cornwall. It is currently managed, jointly by the South West Lakes Trust and South West Water. There is public access to the reservoir away from the nature reserve. The reservoir supplies water to the North Cornwall water distribution network via treatment at the Lowermoor Water Treatment Works.

History

The concrete dam was completed on Crowdy Marsh in 1973.

Geography

Crowdy Reservoir is a reservoir on the northern edge of Bodmin Moor Cornwall. It is mostly in the civil parish of Advent and includes a small area in Davidstow parish and is fed by run-off and drainage from the surrounding moorland. The nearest town is Camelford to the east; Roughtor is to the south; Davidstow Moor on the east shore and to the north is the former Davidstow Airfield now partially covered by a Forestry Commission plantation, Davidstow Woods. The eastern two-thirds is within the Bodmin Moor, North Site of Special Scientific Interest. The reservoir provides water to parts of North Cornwall.

Natural history and ecology

Built on a marsh, the reservoir still retains a high degree of biological interest with a gradual transition from emergent vegetation with islets and peat to open water. Cornwall's only major colony of black-headed gull breed here and a number wildfowl also breed or overwinter here. Some of the species include, gadwall, goldeneye, goosander, mallard, common pochard, shoveller, teal and tufted duck.