| Bassenthwaite Lake | |
|---|---|
 View from Blackstock Point | |
 Map (1925) | |
| Location | Lake District |
| Coordinates | 54°39′N3°13′W / 54.650°N 3.217°W /54.650; -3.217 |
| Primary inflows | River Derwent Newlands Beck |
| Primary outflows | River Derwent |
| Catchment area | 96.5 sq mi (250 km2)[1] |
| Basin countries | United Kingdom |
| Max. length | 4 mi (6.4 km) |
| Max. width | 0.8 mi (1.3 km) |
| Surface area | 1.98 sq mi (5.1 km2) |
| Max. depth | 70 ft (21 m) |
| Shore length1 | 11.3 mi (18.2 km) |
| Surface elevation | 223 ft (68 m) |
| Islands | 0 |
| 1 Shore length isnot a well-defined measure. | |
Bassenthwaite Lake is a body of water in theLake District inNorth West England, near the town ofKeswick. It has an area of 5.3 km2 (2.0 sq mi), making the fourth largest of the lakes in the region. The lake has a length of approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) long and maximum width of 0.75 miles (1 km), a maximum depth of 19 m (62 ft), and a surface elevation of 68 m (223 ft) above sea level. Its primary inflow and outflow is theRiver Derwent, which drains into theIrish Sea atWorkington. The lake is in the unitary authority ofCumberland, and the ceremonial county ofCumbria.
Bassenthwaite Lake is the only body of water in the Lake District to use the word 'lake' in its name, all the others using the local terms 'water' (e.g.Derwentwater), 'mere' (e.g.Windermere) or'tarn' (e.g.Dock Tarn). Some maps dating from the 18th century do in fact mark this lake with the nameBassenwater,[citation needed] and the use of the nameBroadwater for this lake is also attested.[citation needed]
TheA66 dual carriageway runs roughly north–south along the western side of the lake. The lay-bys are popular spots for photographers and bird watchers looking forosprey. The section running south towards Keswick was built along the course of the formerCockermouth, Keswick and Penrith railway line.
Like the other Lake District lakes, Bassenthwaite Lake lies in aglacially eroded valley, left after thelast glaciation. Bassenthwaite Lake is linked toDerwent Water by the River Derwent, which crosses the 3 miles (5 km)alluvial plain between the two lakes. There has been speculation that Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite Lake were once one larger lake with the alluvial flats now separating them formed from partial infill of the original basin.[citation needed]
The lake takes its name from the village ofBassenthwaite, meaning "Bastun's clearing".Bastun is usually taken to be an Anglo-French nickname or surname originally meaning "stick", whilethwaite is fromOld Norseþveit ("clearing"). The lake was also formerly known asBastun's water.[2]
The lake's catchment is the largest of any lake in the Lake District. This, along with a large percentage of cultivable land within this drainage area, makes Bassenthwaite Lake a fertile habitat.[citation needed]
The lake containssalmon,trout,pike,perch,minnow,dace,ruffe andeel, though the predominant species isroach. Also present was thevendace, until it was declared extinct within the lake in 2001.[citation needed]
Cormorants have been known to fish the lake andherons can also be seen; at the turn of the 19th century there was a report of 60 nests in a heronry in nearbyWythop Woods.[citation needed]
In 2001,ospreys returned to nest in the Lake District after more than a hundred years. They nested by the lake, and have done so regularly since. The osprey family can be watched from viewpoints at Dodd Wood and by CCTV from Whinlatter Forest Visitor Centre.[3]
Water quality is adversely affected by high sediment deposition, and there are other problems such as phosphate pollution. These issues are being addressed via the Bassenthwaite Lake Restoration Programme.[4][5]To reduce the sediment entering the lake more trees have been planted alongside watercourses, andclear felling of existing tree cover has been discouraged with the cooperation ofForestry England.
Phosphates encouragealgae formation.[4]TheEnvironment Agency attributed unacceptable levels of phosphate in the catchment to Keswick wastewater treatment works, Greta Grove pumping station and the associated overflow.[6]Water companyUnited Utilities was fined £27,000 in 2011 for allowing raw sewage to pollute nearby Pow Beck watercourse.[7] The company's£20 million sewer improvement scheme, begun in 2011, aims to improve water quality in theRiver Greta[8] and the lake itself.[9] The project will facilitate removal of greater quantities of phosphates.[10] Works to upgrade the wastewater treatment works and pumping station were begun in May 2010.[6]
It has been reported that the wide gravel spreads between Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite Lake provided the best centre within Lakeland forNeolithic farming communities. Stone axes have been found in the area and particularly at Mossgarth,Portinscale.[citation needed]
Bassenthwaite Lake [...] catchment area of 250km sq [...]
The Bassenthwaite Lake Restoration Project is now reaching its first decade [...] Phosphates enrich the water, with the most visible result being blooms of algae [...]
the Environment Agency will work with partners to improve lakes, meres and reservoirs through: Implementing the actions of the five-year programme for the Bassenthwaite Lake Restoration programme and Windermere Catchment Restoration Programme [...]
Keswick wastewater treatment works, Greta Grove pumping station and the associated overflow have been identified by the Environment Agency as having contributed to unacceptable levels of phosphate in the Bassenthwaite Lake catchment. In May, United Utilities began work on the scheme to upgrade the wastewater treatment works and resolve the problem of the Greta Grove pumping station.[permanent dead link]
[...] two leaks into the Pow Beck watercourse in Keswick [...]
[...] designed to improve the quality of water in the River Greta and Bassenthwaite Lake.[permanent dead link]
The United Utilities project aims to improve the public network, lessen the risk of flooding, and improve water quality of Bassenthwaite Lake.
[...] allowing it to treat larger amounts of water and remove greater quantities of dangerous phosphates.
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