History of MacRitchie Reservoir

Morning ray of MacRitchie Reservoir.

Before the early 19th century, most of the island was covered in primary forest. Between 1820 and 1870, a substantial portion of virgin forest was cleared to develop the island as an important trading post. Prior to this, many Chinese planters had also worked the land for timber and the cultivation of crops like gambier, pepper and rubber. By 1886, only 10% of the original forest cover remained. MacRitchie Reservoir is Singapore's first reservoir, built in 1867-68. The development of the Reservoir brought the forest devastation around the area to a halt. The forest around the reservoir was protected as a water catchment reserve. The forests surrounding the other two reservoirs, Peirce and Seletar, were also protected when these reservoirs were developed later.