Activities and facilities
To prepare for your visit, please check the conditions of access.
Picnicking
There is a picnic area with barbeque facilities, tennis court, dam wall lookout and public toilets.
Walking and cycling
Tod River has 1.3 kilometres of nature trails that can be walked or cycled, and abundant birdlife to observe.
Museum
The local history museum tells the story of water services and SA Water in the local area and is open Monday to Friday, 8.30am until 4pm.
Click map below for a print-friendly version.
What sets Tod River Reservoir apart
Capacity: 11.3 gigalitres (one gigalitre is one billion litres)
Constructed: 1918-1922
In the early 1900s there was significant demand for water in the area to support the extension of railways across the Eyre Peninsula.
The construction of railways on the Eyre Peninsula encouraged settlement of large portions of the region. The Government’s intention was to open up land for agriculture by linking ports by rail, yet water shortages were severe. Farmers relied heavily on water carted by rail, which was expensive. Constructing the Tod River Reservoir provided greater water security and a more affordable supply for the people living on the Eyre Peninsula.
Before construction of the dam at Tod River, Port Lincoln residents were reliant on rainwater and just three wells.
Little known fact about Tod River Reservoir
When the original contractors building the dam hit financial difficulty they handed the contract to pastoralist and stock agent Sir Sidney Kidman to finish the job.
Water quality
Tod River Reservoir is one of 16 across South Australia.
Treating drinking water before it’s supplied to homes, businesses, schools, hospitals and more, is important to make sure it is clean and safe to drink straight from the tap. You can learn how SA Water treats water and maintains the quality its customers value and rely upon.
Tod River Reservoir is not used to supply drinking water.
