The Chase Sailing Club
Pool Road,
Brownhills,
Staffordshire.
WS8 7AL
CMBC now currently sail from the main lake over by the SAILING CLUB.
Please follow these directions to get to our sailing area.
Site is approached via A5 [easterly direction] dual carriagway. If travelling from Lichfield side, continue on to next island and "U turn", follow "brown signs" for "CHASEWATER". DRIVE PAST the main Chasewater entrance and go to SECOND set of traffic lights. TURN LEFT.Turn off A5 onto A5195 signposted M6 Toll and Burntwood at Newtown (also signed Chase Sailing Club) Drive down the slight hill and turn LEFT at the traffic island. Follow road untill you see a BROWN sign on your left, pointing LEFT for "Sailing Club", Take this exit left and follow road till you come to a fork, Go RIGHT and follow road till you reach the Sailing Club.
Park in the car park and walk to the sailing area on the lake shore, front left of the main club house.
- Where does the water come from that feeds the reservoir other than rain water?
The reservoir has what is known as a “catchment area”, an area of land over which rain water, ground water and some drainage run-off collects into various streams and watercourses which ultimately flow into the reservoir.
The catchment area for Chasewater Reservoir is about 9 square kilometres and lies mainly to the north of the reservoir. The main dam was built across the valley of the eastern Crane Brook which rises in high ground in Burntwood and flows into the reservoir along Blackman’s Gutter and into the inlet where the sailing club is now sited.
The secondary, western dam retains streams such as the Big Crane Brook from Biddulph’s Pool and other ponds to the north which before disturbance by mining subsidence and open cast mining flowed into the River Penk to the west.
- When will the sailing and powerboat clubs be back open?
This is entirely dependant on the water level in the reservoir and, therefore, the rate at which it refills. The reservoir level is currently around 144 metres above ordnance datum (AOD). Based on historical records and current rates of rainfall, it has been estimated that it may be the summer of 2013 before the reservoir starts to reach normal operating levels of between 150 and 152 m AOD. However, the sailing and power boat clubs can operate in lower water levels than this and so may be able to open a little earlier.
- Will Pool Road be reopened, when the dam is finished? If not, why?
It is our intention to seek to close Pool Road to all traffic other than for access to the properties on Pool Road after completion of the works, however, this will be subject to a statutory consultation exercise.
- Will fish be put back into the reservoir?
There is no requirement or intention to put any fish back. We estimate that a small proportion of the total fish stock was removed. The majority of fish removed were predatory which may actually benefit the water body as smaller prey species may now be more prolific. In addition there will be a large flush of nutrients through re-fill which will ultimately facilitate the quick expansion of the fish populations.
- Can you explain, ‘What is the plug that has been put back in?’
A critical part of the works was to ensure that the brickwork tunnel (the “drawdown culvert”) which runs under the eastern dam from the bed of reservoir and which is the means by which water is released into the canal system was in good condition and fully functional.
Until this work was complete, water levels in the reservoir had to be kept down. Having completed these works, there is now no need to continue to release water from the reservoir and it can now be allowed to refill naturally.
- Is there really a plug?
- There is no actual plug but the valves that control the flow of water out of the reservoir are now shut.