Other Reservoirs

There are six raw water reservoirs in the island with a total capacity of 2700 million litres, plus another five small reservoirs for treated water. The reservoirs gather water from streams and run-off from the land, and are replenished from streams across the island by a series of eight abstraction points. Water needs to be pumped from reservoir to reservoir because in some cases the catchment areas produce more water than their reservoirs can hold. Mourier Valley runs down the boundary between St.Mary and St. John. The stream formerly powered a number of mills. Le Mourier reservoir treats water containing high nitrates producing up to 4,000 m³/d for blending with other water resources. La Maseline Reservoir in St. John’s Woods has waterfowl present, moorhen in particular and strikingly colourful dragonflies and damselflies that constantly patrol the water during late summer. The reservoir is stocked with some fine fish, carp frequently appear close to the surface, and on warm days there’s a chance of spotting a terrapin (an introduced species) basking on exposed logs. Add to this a wealth of birdsong in early summer and you have one of the most tranquil areas in which to spend a little time.