Managing agency Canal & River Trust Max depth 12 m Mean depth 6.5 m Surface area 14 ha | Built 1825–1827 Length 630 m Width 220 m Inflow source River Trent | |
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Primary inflows Primary outflows Caldon Canal, River Trent | ||
Knypersley Reservoir is a canal feeder reservoir near Biddulph in Staffordshire. The reservoir was built in 1827 to supply water to the Caldon Canal, along with two others at Stanley Pool and Rudyard Lake.
Map of Knypersley Reservoir, Stoke-on-Trent, UK
It is the only reservoir along the course of the River Trent, but as all of the inlets are unnamed, it is only downstream of the dam that the river formally becomes known as the Head of Trent.
There are actually two adjacent lakes at the site, the upper one being the Serpentine Pool which feeds the lower Knypersley Pool or reservoir. Designed by Thomas Telford, it was constructed by the waterways engineer James Potter. There were a number of problems both during and after construction with settlement of the dam, and a number of repairs had to be made.
In 2006 substantial improvements were made by British Waterways, and it is currently operated and managed by their successors, the Canal & River Trust, as part of the Caldon Canal group which also includes Stanley Pool and Rudyard Lake.
The fishing rights are owned separately by a consortium of local angling clubs known as the Cheshire and North Staffs Angling Association which was originally made up of 17 fishing clubs when the rights were purchased in 2002, this has subsequently reduced to 15.
The fishery is well known for its stocks of large fish, notably bream, but also includes roach, perch, pike and a few carp that due to their low numbers are not easy to catch. The association manages the fishery on a catch and release basis.