Manton Dam is a small concrete

arch dam An arch dam is a concrete dam that is curved upstream in plan. The arch dam is designed so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, causing the arch to straighten slightly and strengtheni ...

on the Manton River, approximately south of

Darwin, Northern Territory Darwin ( Larrakia: ') is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. The city has nearly 53% of the Northern Territory's population, with 139,902 at the 2021 census. It is the smallest, wettest, and most northerly of the Australi ...

in Australia. The dam was originally constructed by the Department of Defence during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

to provide a reliable supply of fresh water to Darwin, completed in 1942. The reservoir itself is now mostly used for recreation, such as fishing, boating and

water skiing Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on one or two skis. The sport requires sufficien ...

, surrounded by a conservation area for native flora and fauna.

Current status

The much larger

Darwin River Dam The Darwin River Dam is in Australia's Northern Territory on the Darwin River, Northern Territory, Darwin River. The water catchment it contains is the major source for the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin. The dam can hold up to 259,00 ...

was commissioned in 1972, with Manton Dam retained for emergency supply. Since then,

PowerWater Power and Water Corporation, trading as PowerWater, is a corporation in the Northern Territory of Australia owned by the Government of the Northern Territory. It is the Northern Territory's only provider of electricity, water and sewerage servi ...

has maintained the dam and infrastructure in an inactive state. Since 1989, the Manton Dam Recreation Area has been open to the public within the portfolio of Parks & Wildlife Commission. Although camping and swimming are not permitted, it is a popular venue for recreational water sports. The reservoir is divided into three distinct zones, allowing separation between high speed watercraft like jet skis, an area for towing skiers and an area for kayaks, canoes, and sailing. The lake is also stocked with various fish species, with fishing permitted in all zones. The environment around the dam is an excellent habitat for

crocodiles Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large, semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term "crocodile" is sometimes used more loosely to include all extant member ...

, which Parks and Wildlife regularly patrol and survey to trap and remove many of these animals, especially during the wet season. In February 2014, an experimental

hydroelectric generator 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 ...

was installed by the

in partnership with

Charles Darwin University Charles Darwin University (CDU) is an Australian public university with two campuses in Darwin and six satellite campuses in metropolitan and regional areas of the Northern Territory. It was established in 2003 after the merger of Northern Ter ...

's Centre for Renewable Energy. Outputting roughly 4kW, the small generator is connected to the mains power grid to take advantage of seasonal releases and spillages during the wet season, and is the first of its kind in the Territory.

Future re-use

PowerWater's 2013 Darwin Region Water Supply Strategy outlines plans to reactivate Manton Dam to supply water in order to mitigate shortages before 2025, extracting up to per year to meet growing demand. In 2019, it was estimated that associated works would cost $122 million. A 2018 report prepared by the

CSIRO The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government agency that is responsible for scientific research and its commercial and industrial applications. CSIRO works with leading organisations arou ...

included a detailed investigation of potential dam sites to meet the future needs of the region. This report found that while Manton Dam could provide a short-term solution until a much larger storage can be created, there are some concerns over water quality.

References

{{reflist Dams in the Northern Territory Dams completed in 1942 1942 establishments in Australia Darwin, Northern Territory

Current status

Future re-use

See also

References