Silvan Reservoir

37°50′S 145°25′E / 37.833°S 145.417°E / -37.833; 145.417TypereservoirCatchment area9 km² (3.5 sq mi)Basin countriesAustraliaSurface area3.33 km² (1.29 sq mi)

Silvan Dam
Silvan Reservoir from Kalorama
Location	Silvan, Victoria
Construction began	1926
Opening date	7 July 1931
Operator(s)	Melbourne Water
Dam and spillways
Height	43 metres (141 ft)
Length	644 metres (2,113 ft)
Width (base)	219 metres (719 ft)
Reservoir
Creates	Silvan Reservoir
Total capacity	40,000 megalitres (32,000 acre⋅ft)
Catchment area	9 km2 (3.5 sq mi) (off-stream storage)
Surface area	3.33 km2 (1.29 sq mi)

The Silvan Reservoir is located in Silvan about 40 kilometres (25 mi) east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It has a capacity of 40,000 ML (1.4 billion cu ft).^[1][3] The reservoir is operated by Melbourne Water.

Operations

Silvan is an off-stream storage reservoir, meaning that most of the water is sourced from other reservoirs as the actual catchment area of 9 square kilometres (3.5 sq mi) for Silvan is small. Water for Silvan is transferred from Upper Yarra, O'Shannassy and Thomson (via Upper Yarra) reservoirs.

In turn, Silvan directly supplies water to many of Melbourne's eastern suburbs as well as other off-stream storage reservoirs, including Cardinia and Greenvale.

History

A severe drought in 1914 forced the government to search for a new water supply to handle Melbourne's ever-increasing needs. Construction took place between 1926 and 1931. It was officially opened on 7 July 1931.^[4] The reservoir was 644 metres (2,113 ft) long, 219 metres (719 ft) wide, creating a reservoir that is 43 metres (141 ft) deep.^[1][2][3][4]

In 1983, the wall started to show cracks and remedial works were undertaken. The picnic ground was added to the Silvan Reservoir Park at this time,^[2] which is now managed by Parks Victoria.

References

External links

• Melbourne Water website - Silvan Reservoir