Dam, that’s impressive! Heavy rains flood UK Ladybower Reservoir’s ‘plugholes’

Ladybower Reservoir in Derbyshire has become a photographers’ paradise after heavy rains made the dam struggle with a huge amount of excess water which is now ejecting via spillways known as “plugholes”.

The large Y-shaped reservoir is the lowest of three in the Upper Derwent Valley. It provides drinking water and hydroelectricity to the region, but one unique feature sets it apart from other dams.

The reservoir has a couple of bellmouth overflows – two 80-foot diameter drains which help to funnel surplus water into valves below. These are known locally as the “plugholes”, a reference to bathtub plugholes.

The plugholes are rarely engulfed by water and take flood-level conditions such as those seen in recent weeks to get things flowing again.