Millbrook Lake

The Lake was created when the tidal creek was dammed in 1981, following regular flooding of the village in the 1970’s. The lake has a freshwater inflow at the western end by the doctor’s surgery and a sluice in the dam prevents the lake from over filling. Periodically during the summer months the lake is drained by opening the sluice at high tide and allowing water to drain out with the falling tide. This is done to prevent the build-up of midges that have plagued the area in the past. The lake is refilled with saline water by the next incoming tide. This rapid change in salinity has a detrimental effect on any plants that might establish around the edge of the lake, so there is a lack of emergent and marginal aquatic vegetation. However the bankside vegetation is allowed to grow during the summer and this provides nesting sites for wildfowl such as Mallard and Moorhen. This camera was installed and is maintained by the Environment Agency and can be viewed here. All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Millbrook is located on the lovely Rame Peninsula, officially an area of outstanding natural beauty, in South East Cornwall to the west of the river Tamar and the great naval city of Plymouth. Millbrook Parish Council is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of a variety of public buildings and spaces, several car parks, gardens, the public toilets, the recreation grounds that are central to the community alongside the lake, formed as a flood defence and now a central part of our recreation area.