296 FOEESTS, WOODS, AND TKEES 



acres (reservoirs not included) owned by three local 

 authorities. 



Dublin obtains its water supply from the Eoundwood 

 reservoir in Co. Wicklow, which is situated on the Vartry 

 Eiver, at an elevation of 693 feet above sea-level. The 

 catchment area, 13,700 acres in extent, consists mainly of 

 a plateau between 700 and 900 feet elevation, but extends 

 on the west to a chain of mountains ranging from 1580 to 

 2384 feet, the highest point being the summit of Douce, 

 while on the east it ascends to a ridge varying between 

 800 and 1200 feet elevation. The Corporation own 

 550 acres here, comprising the reservoir with 409 acres of 

 water surface and 141 acres of filter beds and other 

 adjoining laud. A second reservoir, in course of construction 

 on the river Vartry higher up, has a gathering ground of 

 9000 acres, being part of the 13,700 acres already mentioned, 

 as the catchment area has not been increased. The 

 Corporation have acquired here 510 acres, comprising the 

 site of the new reservoir, which will have 303 acres of 

 water surface and 207 acres of adjoining land. The catch- 

 ment area, mainly hill pasture and moorland, with a 

 small proportion of arable land, is sparsely populated, the 

 few dwellings being small farmhouses or labourers' cottages, 

 with no drainage system. The village of Eoundwood is 

 technically within the catchment area, but the entire 

 drainage is intercepted and diverted by an open cutting, 

 which discharges into the river Vartry below the filter beds. 

 The Corporation have had under consideration the desirability 

 of acquiring the whole catchment area, but it was considered 

 unnecessary to do so. " The Vartry water is very pure. 

 It is chemically examined every day, and the results rarely 

 show any variation, the highest standard of purity being 

 maintained." 



On the land owned by the Corporation around the old 

 reservoir 50 acres of plantations were made about 45 

 years ago. These have been very valuable for shelter and 

 ornament. The timber is now coming into use for fencing, 



