Umberumberka Reservoir

The Umberumberka Reservoir project began in January 1911 and employed up to 500 men over the next 4 years during the construction stage, eventually completing the reservoir and commissioning it to supply water to the Silver City in 1915.

With up to 500 men working on the reservoir at any one time a small settlement sprung up near the base of the dam that survived for decades after the completion of the reservoir.

During construction 50,000, 400 pound drums of concrete were transported to Silverton by train and then carted to the construction site by horse and cart. A flying fox was created to carry men and equipment across the ravine in which the reservoir was being constructed.

The dam covers around 145 hectares in area, has a catchment of 407km2 and has a capacity of almost 7 mega litres. The dam is flanked by a River Red Gum community and surrounded by Chenopod and Acacia shrublands. The Umberumberka Reservoir is fed by Umberumberka Creek and Star Creek.

Umberumberka Reservoir remained critical to the supply of water to the Broken Hill and Silverton Communities until the development and commissioning of the Wentworth to Broken Hill pipeline in 2018.

Today, the reservoir serves as a BBQ and picnic paradise, giving visitors the opportunity to sit back, relax and enjoy the serenity of the water, widlfie and the breataking surrounding environment.