| Dale Dike Reservoir | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sheffield |
| Lake type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Dale Dike |
| Primary outflows | Dale Dike |
| Basin countries | United Kingdom |
Dale Dike Reservoir or Dale Dyke Reservoir (grid reference SK240913), famous for causing the Great Sheffield Flood, is in the north-east Peak District, in the City of Sheffield South Yorkshire, England, a mile (1.6 km) west of Bradfield, eight miles (13 km) from the centre of Sheffield, on the Dale Dike, a tributary of the River Loxley.
Along with three other reservoirs around the village of Bradfield - Agden, Damflask and Strines - it was constructed between 1859 and 1864 by the Sheffield Waterworks Company to guarantee a supply of water to power the mills downstream and to supply drinking water to the growing population of Sheffield.[1]
In 1864 the newly-built dam failed, causing the Great Sheffield Flood, which caused massive damage downstream along the Loxley and Don and through the centre of Sheffield. There were 244 fatalities.[2] [3]
The dam was rebuilt in 1875 and is still in use, holding 446 million imperial gallons (2,030,000 m3) of water, now used exclusively for domestic purposes.[4] It is owned by Yorkshire Water, part of the Kelda Group.