Brogo Dam is a minor ungated rockfill embankment

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

with an uncontrolled unlined rock cut spillway across the Brogo River upstream of Brogo in the South Coast region of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. The dam's purpose includes environmental flows, hydro-electric power generation,

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...

, and

water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Th ...

. The impounded

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

is also called Brogo Dam.

Location and features

Commenced in 1964 and completed in 1976, the Brogo Dam is a major dam on the Brogo River, a tributary of the Bega River, and is located approximately northwest of Bega. The dam was built by Citra Constructions Pty Limited on behalf of the New South Wales Department of Land and Water Conservation to supply water for irrigation and

potable water Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also calle ...

for the towns of Quaama,

Cobargo Cobargo is a village in the south-east area of the state of New South Wales in Australia in Bega Valley Shire. At the , Cobargo had a population of 776 people. It is 386 km south of Sydney on the Princes Highway between Narooma and Bega. T ...

, and Bermagui. The dam supplies water to farmers along the Brogo and Bega rivers for stock and domestic use and irrigation on improved pastures for stock feed.

Dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a h ...

is the main industry in the Bega Valley and the dam ensures a continuous and reliable supply for this activity. The dam wall comprises of concrete-faced rock fill and is high and is long. The maximum water depth is and at 100% capacity the dam wall holds back of water at AHD. The surface area of Brogo Dam is and the catchment area is . The uncontrolled unlined rock cut spillway is capable of discharging .

Power generation

In 2002,

Delta Electricity Delta Electricity is an electricity generation company in Australia. The company was formed by the Government of New South Wales in 1996 as part of its reform of the electricity sector in the State, which saw the breakup of the Electricity Comm ...

won the right to construct a

mini hydro Small hydro is the generation of hydroelectric power on a smaller scale as compared to traditional large-scale hydro. Exact definitions vary by country, but small hydro power (SHP) projects are typically less than 50 Megawatt, megawatts (MW) and c ...

power station A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...

and generate up to of

electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...

from the flow of the water leaving Brogo Dam.

Recreation

Brogo Dam is stocked with

Australian Bass The Australian bass (''Percalates novemaculeata'') is a small-to-medium-sized species of primarily freshwater (but estuarine spawning) ray-finned fish found in coastal rivers and streams along the east coast of Australia. A member of the genu ...

and

eels Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order (biology), order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 20 Family (biology), families, 164 genus, genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the earl ...

can also be found in the dam's waters. Boating and canoeing on the dam's surface are permitted. The area surrounding the dam has abundant ferns and rock orchids that provide a photographer's paradise.

References

{{WaterNSW , state=autocollapse South Coast (New South Wales) Dams completed in 1976 Rock-filled dams Hydroelectric power stations in New South Wales Dams in New South Wales

Location and features

Power generation

Recreation

See also

References