The reservoir and the surrounding woodlands are both Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Fringing vegetation includes shore-weed (Littorella uniflora) and amphibious bistort (Persicaria amphibia), and such sedges as bottle sedge (Carex rostrata) and bladder sedge (Carex vesicaria), as well as taller stands of bulrush (Typha latifolia) and common spike-rush (Eleocharis palustris).

[3] The reservoir is visited by large numbers of migrating and overwintering wading birds and waterfowl.

Others include wigeon, teal, pochard, shelduck, shoveler, ruddy duck, goldeneye, greylag goose, dunlin and green sandpiper, while mallard and tufted duck are present all year round, as are curlew, redshank and common sandpiper.

[5] There are 25 geocaches around Eccup Reservoir,[6] making it a popular place with walkers.