Gartmorn Dam Country Park Development Trust
WELCOME
Next Meeting
Due to Covid, meetings have been postponed. We are arranging a public meeting relating to future planning for the the dam, followed by a brief Annual General Meeting of the Trust. The meeting will be held on Tuesday 22nd March, 2022 from 2pm to 4 pm in the Alloa Old Peoples Welfare Club (Located in Erskine Street Alloa ). Thus will be an afternoon of action planning and tabletop discuission groups. The event will be facilitated by the Clackmannashire Third Sector Interphase.
Keep in touch with the website and Facebook for further details.
News
LOOKING FOR HELP
We would very much like to ask someone in the wider membership / interested community to help and join the board. We need to spread the load over more shoulders.
The Trust
The Gartmorn Dam Country Park Development Trust is a group of interested individuals and organisations who see the benefits of working together to develop the area around the dam. We are keen to engage as many individuals and organisations as possible in supporting the trust and invite you to become a member.
The trust aims
- to work in collaboration with local landowners to support the protection, conservation and enhancement of the environment of the park and its surroundings.
- to develop outdoor recreation, education and learning facilities which are consistent with and sensitive to the country park and its surroundings.
- to promote the benefit of the Gartmorn Dam Country Park and surroundings for all sections of the local community and all visitors to the park.
For more detail, please refer to our constitution.
Industrial History
Natural History and the Country Park
The reservoir is based on a natural loch that occurred here before the damming took place and as such was always home to water-loving wildlife, from very small as insects to larger like otters.
Gartmorn Dam was recognised as a nationally important site of special scientific interest (SSSI) in 1971 with a variety of rare pond weeds and part of it is also designated as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) as it is an important site for migratory wildfowl in the winter months. Many birds also live at Gartmorn all year round and breed here in the summer time, like the Great Crested Grebe.
Wild brown trout are at home in the water body and often shoals of young perch can be seen. They live in high densities as it helps them to avoid being eaten by larger fish, such as local pike.
In 1982 it became Clackmannanshire’s first and only Country Park with the old pump house behind the dam serving as a visitor centre. A purpose-built visitor centre was added in 1996. The council’s Ranger Service is looking after life in the park and runs events for visitors and volunteers.
The 170 acre reservoir is now owned by Scottish Water and the lands making up the rest of the 370 acre Country Park surrounding the reservoir are owned by Clackmannanshire Council, the Forestry Commission and private landowners. It is an important local nature refuge and an area of wildlife sensitive recreation and exercise that is open to everyone in all seasons.