Wraysbury Reservoir

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox body of water

| name = Wraysbury Reservoir

| image = WraysburyReservoir.jpg

| caption = Wraysbury Reservoir from the air, looking south

| alt = Aerial view of reservoir

| image_bathymetry =

| caption_bathymetry =

| location = Surrey

| coords = {{coord|51|27|39.7|N|0|31|25.2|W|region:GB_type:waterbody|display=inline,title}}

| type = reservoir

| inflow =

| pushpin_map=Surrey

| pushpin_map_alt = A map of Surrey with a mark indicating the location of Wraysbury Reservoir

| outflow =

| catchment =

| basin_countries = United Kingdom

| length =

| width =

| area = {{convert|2.05|km2}}

| depth =

| max-depth =

| volume = {{convert|34|Gl|e9impgal|abbr=on}}

| residence_time =

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| elevation =

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}}

{{Infobox SSSI

|name= Wraysbury Reservoir

|aos= Surrey

|interest=Biological

|gridref={{gbmappingsmall|TQ 025 745}}

|area= {{convert|205.6|ha|acre|abbr=off}}

|notifydate= 1999

|map=[https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%272000374%27 Magic Map]

}}

Wraysbury Reservoir is a water supply reservoir for London, just west of the M25 near the village of Wraysbury, and directly under the western approach path of Heathrow Airport. Construction of the reservoir was begun in 1967 and completed by W. & C. French in 1970{{cite web|url= http://www.geplus.co.uk/Journals/2015/05/22/k/m/t/GE-Oct-1976---The-Queen-Mother-Reservoir---some-aspects-of-its-design-and-construction.pdf|title=The Queen Mother Reservoir, Datchet|publisher=Ground Engineering|date=October 1976| access-date=14 September 2015}} with a capacity of 34,000 million litres (8,000 million gallons).[http://www.spelthorne.gov.uk/lei_three_rivers_ramble.htm Spelthorne Borough Council - Three Rivers Ramble]

Engineering design data for the Wraysbury reservoir is as follows.{{Cite book|last=Bell|first=F. G.|title=Engineering Geology and Geotechnics|publisher=Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd|year=1979|isbn=9780408003551|pages=270}}

class="wikitable" !Parameter !Value

Top water level above ordnance datum |31.1 m

Volume of water storage |35 million m3

Maximum depth of water |21 m

Water area |202 ha

Maximum height of bank above ground |17 m

Perimeter of bank |5,700 m

The reservoir is owned and operated by Thames Water; 400 million litres (100 million gallons) of water are pumped daily from an inlet at Datchet on the River Thames. A neighbouring reservoir is the King George VI Reservoir, opened in 1947, which is supplied from Hythe End. To keep the grass short and make inspections easier, Thames Water maintains a flock of sheep on the earthen banks.{{cite web|title=The real-life reservoir dogs (press release)|url=http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-real-life-reservoir-dogs-156358045.html|website=PR Newswire|publisher=Thames Water|access-date=4 December 2016}}

The reservoir is the site of the National Physical Laboratory's Open-Water Test Facility, used by the Ministry of Defence for test and calibration of sonar systems, as well as civilian commercial customers.{{Cite web |title=Calibration and characterisation of sonar transducers and systems {{!}} The UK Marine Science and Technology Compendium |url=https://naqbase.noc.ac.uk/institution/national-physical-laboratory-ultrasound-and-underwater-acoustics-group/consultancy-14 |access-date=2022-10-02 |website=naqbase.noc.ac.uk}}

It is a {{convert|205.6|ha|acre|abbr=off|adj=on}} biological Site of Special Scientific Interest{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S2000374&SiteName=&countyCode=41&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: Wraysbury Reservoir | series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 21 November 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%272000374%27 |title=Map of Wraysbury Reservoir|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date= 21 November 2018}} and part of South West London Waterbodies Ramsar site{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=UK11065&SiteName=&countyCode=41&responsiblePerson=&unitId=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: South West London Waterbodies | series= Ramsar Site|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 9 November 2018}} and Special Protection Area.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=UK9012171&SiteName=&countyCode=41&responsiblePerson=&unitId=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title= Designated Sites View: South West London Waterbodies | series= Special Protection Areas |publisher=Natural England|access-date = 9 November 2018}} It has nationally important numbers of wintering cormorants, great crested grebe and shovelers. It also supports many gadwalls.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/2000374.pdf |title=Wraysbury Reservoir citation|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date= 21 November 2018}}