Chester Weir

It was designed to provide a head of water for the medieval mills on the river.

[1] The weir continues to provide three essential roles in maintaining the very substantial water abstractions from the River Dee.

It prevents tidal water ingress up-river for all but the highest tides; it provides the water head for an abstraction immediately behind the weir and it holds back what is a long linear lake which enables that largest abstraction to be taken at Huntington for the United Utilities supply to the Wirral and surrounding areas.

[3] This allows carefully planned passage from the non-tidal River Dee, via the short tidal estuary section, onto the Dee Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal (originally the Chester Canal) at certain times of year.

[4] United Utilities vacated the turbine building in 2015, ending its use as a pump station, and allowing installation of a new hydro electric generating plant, planning for which is underway as of 2021, alongside a Green-Energy education centre and visitor attraction.

Chester weir and Old Dee Bridge on River Dee at Chester. The weir gate is between the two poles next to the bridge.