Googong Dam is a minor ungated
earth and rock fill with clay core 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
concrete chute spillway plus a nearby high earthfill saddle embankment across the
Queanbeyan River
The Queanbeyan River, a perennial stream that is part of the Molonglo catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Monaro and Capital Country regions of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, in Australia. The ...
upstream of
Queanbeyan
Queanbeyan ( ) is a city in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia, located adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory in the Southern Tablelands region. Located on the Queanbeyan River, the city is the council seat of the Queanbeyan-Pale ...
in the
Capital Country 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
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 ...
for
Canberra
Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...
and Queanbeyan. 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 called Googong Reservoir.
Googong Dam was created through enabling legislation enacted via the passage of the ''Canberra Water Supply (Goodong Dam) Act, 1974''.
History
A
green ban was briefly imposed by the
Builders Labourers Federation for a few days until adequate assurances that marine life in
Lake Burley Griffin
Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was created in 1963 by the damming of the Molonglo River, which formerly ran between the city centre and Parliamentary Triangle. The lake is na ...
would not be harmed.
Location and features
Completed in 1979, the Googong Dam is a minor dam on the Queanbeyan River and Bradleys Creek and is located approximately south of the city of Queanbeyan on the lower reaches of the river. The dam was built by
Thiess based on designs developed by the Commonwealth Department of Construction; and is now managed by
Icon Water.
The dam wall height is and is long. At 100% capacity the dam wall holds back of water at
AHD. The surface area of Googong Reservoir is and the catchment area is . The ungated concrete chute spillway is capable of discharging .
Successive flood events in 1978 and through the 1980s resulted in extensive erosion in the unlined section of the spillway chute, including a large erosion hole, up to deep and wide, in the upper part of the spillway chute. Staged remedial works were undertaken in the 1980s to protect the eroded structure. Remediation of spillway facilities occurred from 2006 through to 2010 that resulted in an increase in the capacity of the spillway, construction of walls in the spillway chute extension up to high, and a range of other enhancements to meet extreme flood events.
In 2016, with more regular spillway overflows, the dam's managing authority Icon Water, installed a 240m floating safety barrier, with authorised vessel access gate, across the spillway, to improve safety for waterway users.
See also
*
List of dams and reservoirs in New South Wales
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Rivers of the Australian Capital Territory , state=autocollapse
Dams in New South Wales
Earth-filled dams
Dams completed in 1979
Embankment dams
Murray-Darling basin
Green bans