Silvan Reservoir

The Silvan Reservoir is a reservoir in the south of the Australian state of Victoria and is located about 40 km east of Melbourne in Silvan on the east side of the Dandenongs.

The history of the lake dates back to 1914. At that time, a drought forced the residents of Melbourne, to look for another storage option for drinking water to meet the ever increasing water demand. From 1926 to 1931, the dam was built. When the lake was filled, it had a length of 644 m, a width of 219 m and was 43 m deep.

The Silvan Reservoir was officially opened on 7 July 1931. In 1983, a revision was necessary because the dam cracks showed. Simultaneously, the Silvan Reservoir Park was expanded to include a picnic area.

The lake receives most of its water inflow from other reservoirs because its catchment area is only 9 km ² very small. The water for the Silvan Reservoir comes from the Upper Yarra Reservoir, from O'Shannassy reservoir and from the Thomson Dam ( on the Upper Yarra Reservoir ). The Silvan Reservoir in turn supplies only the eastern districts of Melbourne directly, but in addition other reservoirs, such as the Cardinia Reservoir and the Greenvale Reservoir.

The Silvan Reservoir has a capacity of 40 million m³.