Voelvlei Nature Reserve and dam

Voëlvlei Nature Reserve is situated in the Tulbagh Wine Valley between Tulbagh and Wolseley at the foot of the Winterhoek Mountains. The Voelvlei dam with its 10-metre high and 2,910 metres long wall covers 1,524 hectares it has a capacity of 168,000 megalitres and was built in 1952. Water from the reservoir is supplied to water treatment works of the City of Cape Town and the West Coast District Municipality. It can also be released into the Berg River for agricultural purposes or to fill the Misverstand Dam.

The dam was constructed to increase the capacity of the Voelvlei Lake, within a natural depression. The farm on which the dam was built had been in the Walters family since 1734. The farm was expropriated in 1948 and the amount of 44 thousand pounds was paid.

Voelvlei supports a big bird colony and there are masses of birdwatching opportunities. The dam is also full of bass.

Latitude: -33.3751783 Longitude: 19.0661253

.