Butterley Reservoir is a reservoir

Reservoir

A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...

 in Derbyshire

Derbyshire

Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. The reservoir was built to provide water for the Cromford Canal

Cromford Canal

The Cromford Canal ran 14.5 miles from Cromford to the Erewash Canal in Derbyshire, England with a branch to Pinxton. Built by William Jessop with the assistance of Benjamin Outram, its alignment included four tunnels and 14 locks....

 which opened for use in 1794. The Codnor Park and Butterley Park reservoirs also provided water to the Cromford Canal. The currently disused Cromford Canal

Cromford Canal

The Cromford Canal ran 14.5 miles from Cromford to the Erewash Canal in Derbyshire, England with a branch to Pinxton. Built by William Jessop with the assistance of Benjamin Outram, its alignment included four tunnels and 14 locks....

 passes beneath the reservoir along the Butterley Tunnel

Butterley Tunnel

Butterley Tunnel is a one and three quarter mile long canal tunnel on the Cromford Canal below Ripley, in Derbyshire, England, opened to traffic in 1794.-Origins:...

. When the canal tunnel was in use water was provided to the canal directly from the reservoir via an adit

Adit

An adit is an entrance to an underground mine which is horizontal or nearly horizontal, by which the mine can be entered, drained of water, and ventilated.-Construction:...

 which connects to the Butterley tunnel.

The reservoir is crossed by a causeway

Causeway

In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...

 on the Midland Railway - Butterley

Midland Railway - Butterley

The Midland Railway – Butterley is a heritage railway, formerly known until 2004 as the Midland Railway Centre, at Butterley, near Ripley in Derbyshire.-Overview:...

's line between Butterley railway station

Butterley railway station

Butterley railway station is a heritage railway station within the Midland Railway - Butterley in Derbyshire. Originally located on the Midland Railway's Ambergate to Pye Bridge Line, the station opened on 1 May 1875 as Butterley, being renamed Butterley for Ripley and Swanwick on 29 July 1935...

 and Hammersmith railway station

Hammersmith railway station

Hammersmith railway station is a heritage railway station on the Midland Railway - Butterley in Derbyshire.There was no station at this point originally, being situated on the Ambergate to Pye Bridge Line. However, when the line was reopened, the A38 road prevented any further westward...

, the latter being a new creation.

A variety of waterfowl

Waterfowl

Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....

 can be seen on the reservoir, and fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

is allowed with a permit.