 Balderhead Reservoir was commissioned by the Tees Valley and Cleveland Water Board (TVCWB) to increase water supply to Teesdale and Teesside.In 1956, an upsurge in the chemical industry on Teesside led ICI to negotiate increased water supply from the Tees Valley Water Board.The first site considered, Cow Green, was above Cauldron Snout and was in a sensitive habitat area, so Balderhead was built instead.