# Middle River Dam

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Dam and reservoir in South Australia

Dam in Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Middle River Dam Interactive map of Middle River Dam Location Kangaroo Island, South Australia Coordinates 35°43′08″S 137°05′46″E / 35.719°S 137.096°E / -35.719; 137.096 Purpose Water supply Status Operational Opening date 1968 Owner Government of South Australia Operator SA Water Dam and spillways Type of dam Gravity dam Impounds Middle River Height (foundation) 20 m (66 ft) Length 152 m (499 ft) Dam volume 7×10^3 m3 (250×10^3 cu ft) Spillway type Uncontrolled Spillway capacity 245 m3/s (8,700 cu ft/s) Reservoir Creates Middle River Reservoir Total capacity 540 ML (440 acre⋅ft) Active capacity 470 ML (380 acre⋅ft) Catchment area 101 km2 (39 sq mi) Surface area 12.7 ha (31 acres)

The **Middle River Dam** is a [gravity dam](/source/Gravity_dam) across the [Middle River](/source/Middle_River_(South_Australia)), located on the north of [Kangaroo Island](/source/Kangaroo_Island) in [South Australia](/source/South_Australia). Completed in 1968, its resultant [reservoir](/source/Reservoir), the **Middle River Reservoir**, provides [potable water](/source/Potable_water) for the island community.

## Overview

Construction of Middle River Dam was started in response to a doubling of the population on Kangaroo Island following [World War II](/source/World_War_II).[1] The reservoir supplies water to [Kingscote](/source/Kingscote%2C_South_Australia), [Brownlow KI](/source/Brownlow_KI%2C_South_Australia) and [Parndana](/source/Parndana%2C_South_Australia).[2]

The concrete dam wall is 20 metres (66 ft) high and 152 metres (499 ft) long. When full, the reservoir has capacity of 470 [megalitres](/source/Megalitre) (380 [acre⋅ft](/source/Acre-foot)) and covers 12.7 hectares (31 acres), drawn from a [catchment area](/source/Drainage_basin) of approximately 101 square kilometres (39 sq mi).[3][2][4]

## See also

- [South Australia portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:South_Australia)
- [Water portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Water)

- [List of reservoirs and dams in South Australia](/source/List_of_reservoirs_and_dams_in_Australia#South_Australia)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-SA_Water_1-0)** ["Middle River Reservoir"](https://www.sawater.com.au/community-and-environment/our-water-and-sewerage-systems/water-sources/reservoir-data/middle-river-reservoir). *South Australian Water Corporation*. Retrieved 26 March 2016.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-SA_Water2_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-SA_Water2_2-1) [*SA Water's Long Term Plan for Kangaroo Island (Including the Middle River and Penneshaw Water Supply Systems)*](https://web.archive.org/web/20110226201600/http://pay.sawater.sa.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/E7057912-ADA8-4A86-B119-0560B66D72AA/0/FinalSAWaterLongTermPlanReportKangarooIsland.pdf) (PDF). South Australian Water Corporation. 2009. p. 32. Archived from [the original](http://www.pay.sawater.sa.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/E7057912-ADA8-4A86-B119-0560B66D72AA/0/FinalSAWaterLongTermPlanReportKangarooIsland.pdf) (PDF) on 26 February 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ANCOLD_3-0)** ["Register of Large Dams Australia-2015"](https://ancold.org.au/information-resources/dams-information/) ([Excel](/source/Microsoft_Excel). Requires download. Row 348). *[ANCOLD](/source/ANCOLD)*. January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-PLB_4-0)** ["Search result for "Middle River Dam (Dam)" (Record no. SA0044610) with the following layers selected - "Suburbs and Localities" and " Place names (gazetteer)""](https://web.archive.org/web/20161012010923/http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/). *Property Location Browser*. Government of South Australia. Archived from [the original](http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/#) on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.

v t e Reservoirs and dams in South Australia Adelaide area Barossa Clarendon Weir Happy Valley Hope Valley Kangaroo Creek Little Para Millbrook Mount Bold Myponga South Para Warren Regional areas Aroona Baroota Bundaleer Goolwa Barrages Hindmarsh Valley Middle River Tod River Former / Proposed Beetaloo Leigh Creek Retention Thorndon Park Wellington Weir

v t e Kangaroo Island Major townships American River Kingscote Parndana Penneshaw Beaches American Beach Baudin Beach Brown Beach D'Estrees Bay Emu Bay Island Beach Nepean Bay Vivonne Bay Coastal features Western end of island Cape Borda Cape du Couedic Cape Gantheaume D'Estrees Bay Fides Bluff Maupertuis Bay Nepean Bay Pelican Lagoon Point Marsden Ravine des Casoars Stokes Bay Vivonne Bay Dudley Peninsula Cape St Albans Cape Willoughby Kangaroo Head Moncrieff Bay Pink Bay Protected areas National parks Flinders Chase Conservation parks Baudin Beatrice Islet Beyeria Busby Islet Cape Gantheaume Cape Willoughby Cygnet Estuary Dudley Kelly Hill Lashmar Lathami Lesueur Mount Taylor Nepean Bay Parndana Pelican Lagoon Seal Bay Seddon Simpson Vivonne Bay Marine parks Encounter Western Kangaroo Island Southern Kangaroo Island Wilderness Protection Areas Cape Bouguer Cape Gantheaume Cape Torrens Ravine des Casoars Western River Islands adjacent to Kangaroo Island coast Beatrice Islets Busby Islet Casuarina Islets Douglas Rock Nobby Islet Paisley Islet Pelican Lagoon Islets Pelorus Islet Related and uncategorised 2007 Kangaroo Island bushfires County of Carnarvon Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island Hundred of Dudley Kangaroo Island Council Kangaroo Island wine region Kingscote Airport Middle River Reservoir Category Commons

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Middle River Dam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_River_Dam) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_River_Dam?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.