Chasewater reservoir’s return to its former glory has been boosted by the recent wet weather.
The 200-year-old dam was drained in early 2010 amid safety concerns. The plug was put back in October 2011 but water levels stayed low due to a lack of rainfall over the winter.
However, recent downpours have seen the level rise by 88cm in just two weeks.
County Councillor Mark Winnington said it was encouraging to see the reservoir returning to its former glory.
“It is going to take quite a while for the reservoir to reach its previous water levels but it is excellent to see it starting to rise now,” he said.
“The recent heavy downpour has really made a difference with twice the normal average for April. If Chasewater continues to fill up at this rate, sailing and other watersports may be able to return to the site a little sooner than expected.
“However, we still need it to rise by at least another 1.5 meters before these activities can recommence so there is a fair way to go.”
The £5.5 million repair project at Chasewater was started by Lichfield District Council but was taken over by Staffordshire County Council in May 2011.
