Geehi Dam is a major 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 ...

across the Geehi River in the

Snowy Mountains The Snowy Mountains, known informally as "The Snowies", is an IBRA subregion in southern New South Wales, Australia, and is the tallest mountain range in mainland Australia, being part of the continent's Great Dividing Range, a cordillera syste ...

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. The

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 ...

impounded by the dam is known as Geehi Reservoir.

History

The structure was completed by Thiess Brothers in 1966, and is one of the sixteen major dams that comprise the

Snowy Mountains Scheme The Snowy Mountains Scheme, also known as the Snowy Hydro or the Snowy scheme, is a hydroelectricity and irrigation in Australia, irrigation complex in south-east Australia. Near the border of New South Wales and Victoria (Australia), Victoria, ...

, a vast

hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

and irrigation complex constructed in south-east Australia between 1949 and 1974 that is now run by Snowy Hydro.

Location and features

The dam is located within what is now the Snowy Valleys

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a federated state, state, province, division (politica ...

. It was constructed by Thiess Brothers based on engineering plans developed under contract by the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Authority. The dam wall, comprising of rockfill with an earth core, is high and long. At 100% capacity the dam wall holds back of water. The surface area of Geehi Reservoir is and the catchment area is . The uncontrolled bell-mouth spillway has a diameter of and is capable of discharging up to .

Power generation

Geehi Reservoir receives water from Island Bend Pondage through the Snowy-Geehi tunnel. Water from Geehi Reservoir is carried via the Murray 1 pressure tunnel to the Murray 1

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 ...

, which is rated for a

hydraulic head Hydraulic head or piezometric head is a measurement related to liquid pressure (normalized by specific weight) and the liquid elevation above a vertical datum., 410 pages. See pp. 43–44., 650 pages. See p. 22, eq.3.2a. It is usually meas ...

of and has a total generating capacity of (a net generation of per annum). The outlet structure for the Snowy-Geehi tunnel is shared with the intake of the Murray 1 pressure tunnel and is accessible by a suspended footbridge.

References

External links

* {{Riverina, state=autocollapse Snowy Mountains Scheme Rock-filled dams Dams in New South Wales Dams completed in 1966 Kosciuszko National Park Murray-Darling basin 1966 establishments in Australia

History

Location and features

Power generation

See also

References

External links