| MacRitchie Reservoir | |
|---|---|
 MacRitchie Reservoir with a map | |
  MacRitchie Reservoir | |
| Coordinates | 1°20′37″N103°49′52″E / 1.34361°N 103.83111°E |
| Lake type | Reservoir |
MacRitchie Reservoir is Singapore's oldest reservoir. [1] The reservoir was completed in 1868 by impounding water with an earth embankment, and was then known as the Impounding Reservoir or Thomson Reservoir.
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Before the early 19th century, most of the main island of Singapore was covered with primary forest. Soon after the British established a settlement in Singapore in 1819 and commercial activity took root, there was a demand for fresh water. However, it was decades before the settlement's first fresh water supply was established.
James MacRitchie (26 September 1847 – 26 April 1895) was Municipal Engineer to the Singapore Municipal Commission from 1883 to 1895. An original ‘foreign talent’, MacRitchie began his engineering career in Scotland and worked in India, Japan and Brazil before Singapore. Among his many accomplishments as municipal engineer, he is best known for the upgrading and expansion of Singapore's first reservoir, known as the Impounding Reservoir, in 1891-94. The reservoir was renamed in his honour in 1922.
In 1927, a water treaty was signed with the Sultan of Johor and Singapore started receiving treated water from the Gunong Pulai water project Johor in 1930.
The construction of MacRitchie Reservoir brought deforestation around the area to a halt. The forest surrounding the reservoir has been protected as a water catchment reserve. The forested areas surrounding the other two reservoirs, Pierce Reservoir and Upper Seletar Reservoir (formerly Seletar Reservoir), were also protected when these reservoirs were developed.
During World War II, after the invading Japanese troops seized Bukit Timah from the defending British, the reservoir lay just beyond in their sights. Although it was successfully captured intact shortly after, the Japanese did not cut off the water supply from the reservoir, although slight damage to the reservoir's facilities like the pumping-stations meant much water was lost instead of being channelled to the city, by then crowded with almost one million British-commanded troops and refugees, which was badly in need for a steady water source. After the British surrender and the subsequent Japanese occupation of Singapore, the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) built a Shinto shrine, Syonan Jinja, in the middle of the dense forest surrounding MacRitchie Reservoir. When the British forces re-occupied Singapore in 1945, the shrine was destroyed either by British soldiers, or by the Japanese themselves. [2] Its ruins remain to this day but it is located in a restricted-access nature reserve and visitors are asked not to try to reach it largely due to safety reasons. [3] The National Heritage Board declared the site a Historic Site in 2002, although no plans have been made public to develop or to protect the site.
More than one square kilometre of primary forest is still standing in Central Catchment Nature Reserve today, particularly around MacRitchie Reservoir. Forest trees, remnants of the plantations from the 20th century, can still be seen along the fringes of MacRitchie Reservoir.
There are boardwalks skirting the edge of the scenic MacRitchie Reservoir and trails through the forest. They range in distances from 3 km to 11 km. Interpretative signboards along the boardwalks allow for a self-guided tour along the fringes of the MacRitchie forest.
The boardwalk around the perimeter of the MacRitchie Reservoir brings the visitor through interesting secondary forest in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve area. The boardwalk which hugs the reservoir also allows for easy exploration of freshwater wildlife. The ant plant ( Macaranga bancana.) and pitcher plants are common in the area.
In addition to the boardwalk, another popular attraction is the HSBC TreeTop Walk, a 250 m aerial free-standing suspension bridge spanning Bukit Peirce and Bukit Kalang which are the two highest points in MacRitchie. The bridge was completed in July 2004, and the TreeTop Walk was officially launched on 5 November 2004. The structure, which is 25 m at its highest point, offers visitors a panoramic view of Upper Pierce Reservoir and the surrounding lush rainforest. Jelutong Tower also offers a view of the Singapore Island Country Club golf course and the MacRitchie Reservoir.
The 3.2 km and 4.8 km trails are still used as cross-country running routes for various inter-school competitions today.
Schools can be seen using the reservoir as a place for water sports such as canoeing and kayaking. There are certain competitions held there annually.
Bukit Timah, often abbreviated as Bt Timah, is a planning area and residential estate located in the westernmost part of the Central Region of Singapore. Bukit Timah lies roughly 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the Central Business District, bordering the Central Water Catchment to the north, Bukit Panjang to the northwest, Queenstown to the south, Tanglin to the southeast, Clementi to the southwest, Novena to the east and Bukit Batok to the west.
Bukit Batok, often abbreviated as Bt Batok, is a planning area and matured residential town located along the eastern boundary of the West Region of Singapore. Bukit Batok statistically ranks in as the 25th largest, the 12th most populous and the 11th most densely populated planning area in Singapore. It is bordered by six other planning areas - Choa Chu Kang to the North, Northeast and Northwest, Cashew to the northeast and East, Clementi to the South, Bukit Timah to the southeast, Jurong East to the southwest and Tengah to the west.
Thomson is a relatively narrow area stretching from Novena in the Central Region of Singapore up north till Sembawang. The area is mainly located within the central catchment area where some of Singapore's reservoirs are located, including MacRitchie Reservoir, Upper Peirce Reservoir and Lower Peirce Reservoir.
The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is a 1.7-square-kilometre (0.66 sq mi) nature reserve near the geographic centre of Singapore, located on the slopes of Bukit Timah Hill, the country's highest natural peak standing at a height of approximately 165 metres (541 ft), and parts of the surrounding area, located actually in Bukit Panjang. The nature reserve is about 15 kilometres from the Downtown Core, Singapore's central business district (CBD).
The Central Catchment Nature Reserve is the largest nature reserve in Singapore, occupying 2880 hectares. Forming a large green lung in the geographical centre of the city, it houses several recreational sites, including the Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari and the River Safari, as well as several newer facilities built to encourage public appreciation of the reserve, such as the HSBC TreeTop Walk. The reserve sits within the boundaries of the Central Water Catchment. It is one of the four gazetted nature reserves in Singapore. The other three are the Labrador Nature Reserve which was gazetted since 1 January 2002, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. All four nature reserves along with the parks are protected under the Parks & Trees Act 2005.
Bedok Reservoir is a reservoir in the eastern part of Singapore, to the north of Bedok. The reservoir has a surface area of 880,000 m², and a capacity of 12.8 million m³. The mean depth of the reservoir is 9 m, with a maximum depth of 18.2 m. The shoreline length is 4.3 km.
Canopy walkways – also called canopy walks, treetop walks or treetop walkways – provide pedestrian access to a forest canopy. Early walkways consisted of bridges between trees in the canopy of a forest; mostly linked up with platforms inside or around the trees. They were originally intended as access to the upper regions of ancient forests for scientists conducting canopy research. Eventually, because they provided only limited, one-dimensional access to the trees, they were abandoned for canopy cranes. Today they serve as ecotourism attractions in places such as Dhlinza Forest, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Taman Negara National Park, Malaysia, Sedim River, Kulim, Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda and Kakum National Park, Ghana.
Lower Seletar Reservoir is a reservoir located in the northern part of Singapore in the Lower Seletar subzone, located in Yishun New Town. The reservoir has a surface area of 3.6 km², and a capacity of 9.5 million m³. The mean depth of the reservoir is 2 m, with a maximum depth of 5.5 m. The shoreline length is 14.3 km.
Water supply and sanitation in Singapore are intricately linked to the historical development of Singapore. It is characterised by a number of outstanding achievements in a challenging environment with geographical limitations. Access to water in Singapore is universal, affordable, efficient and of high quality.
Upper Seletar Reservoir is Singapore's third impounding reservoir, after MacRitchie Reservoir and Peirce Reservoir. It is located within the Central Water Catchment area of Singapore island.
The Lower Peirce Reservoir is one of the oldest reservoirs in Singapore. It is located near MacRitchie Reservoir and Upper Peirce Reservoir. Previously known as Kallang River Reservoir or Peirce Reservoir, it was renamed Lower Peirce Reservoir after the creation of Upper Peirce Reservoir. It has a surface area of 6 hectares and the surrounding forest contains many trees that are over 100 years old.
Singapore has about 65 species of mammals, 390 species of birds, 110 species of reptiles, 30 species of amphibians, more than 300 butterfly species, 127 dragonfly species, and over 2,000 recorded species of marine wildlife.
Syonan Jinja was a Shinto shrine at MacRitchie Reservoir, Singapore. Built by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II, the shrine was destroyed directly before British forces re-occupied Singapore.
The Bukit Batok Memorial is located on top of the tranquil Bukit Batok Hill upon which once stood two war memorials built by Australian POWs to commemorate the war dead of the Japanese and the Allies who fought during the decisive Battle of Bukit Timah in Singapore during the Second World War. The two memorials were destroyed after the war and only the road and stairs that used to lead to them mark its legacy today.
The Raffles' banded langur, also known as the banded leaf monkey or banded surili, is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae. It is endemic to Singapore and southern Peninsular Malaysia. The species underwent taxonomic revisions in 2019 and 2020, in which two former subspecies were elevated to separate species. As a result, the Raffles' banded langur meets the criteria for being listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. It is mainly threatened by habitat loss.
Kent Ridge Park is a 47-hectare public park located in Kent Ridge, Singapore, between the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Science Park. Due to its undisturbed habitat and abundant plant life, it is a popular venue for bird-watchers and eco-tourists.
The Central Water Catchment, also known as the Central Catchment Area, is a designated planning area and one of the two main water catchments of Singapore. The country's main reservoirs – MacRitchie, Upper Seletar, Upper Peirce and Lower Peirce – are in the central catchment area.
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