The barrage at Balloch

Image: © Lairich Rig Taken: 17 Oct 2007

This is one of a total of eleven crossings of the River Leven, of which three cannot be used by pedestrians: (1) this barrage, which has a footpath on top behind locked gates; (2) the Black Bridge (Image), which had long been closed when this picture was taken, and which was later removed altogether; and (3) the railway bridge at Dumbarton. The eleven crossings therefore consist of ten bridges, and this barrage, which is not a bridge. Speaking of the Central Water Development Board, and their use of Loch Lomond in providing water for the central belt of Scotland, John Mitchell's book "Loch Lomondside" (in the New Naturalist series) mentions this barrage: "The Loch Lomond Water Scheme, which involved controlling the natural discharge from the loch by means of a barrage across the River Leven, was officially opened on 29 June 1971. Through its pumping station at Ross Priory on the loch's southern shore, the Board was given the authority to abstract up to 455 megalitres (100 million gallons) of water per day, providing the level of the loch does not fall below 6.7 m (22 ft) OD". The barrage has seven separate gates, hinged at the base; they can be raised by electrically-operated pulleys and steel ropes. Though designed to be controlled by a computer system, the barrage is instead operated manually [Reference: the paper "Water management of Loch Lomond – What does the future hold?" by Owen Bramwell (Scottish Water, Edinburgh)]. ["OD" here refers to a standard, called Ordnance Datum Newlyn, which the Ordnance Survey use to express heights in Britain.] See also: Image

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