Pindari Dam is a minor concrete faced 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 ungated uncontrolled rock cut with concrete sill spillway across the Severn River located upstream of the town of Ashford, in the

North West Slopes The North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, refers generally to the area west of the Northern Tablelands, to the north of the Central West region and to the east of the Far West region. Despite its name, the region is in north- ...

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

flood mitigation Flood management or flood control are methods used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters. Flooding can be caused by a mix of both natural processes, such as extreme weather upstream, and human changes to waterbodies and ru ...

, hydro-power,

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 ...

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 ...

and conservation. 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 Lake Pindari.

Location and features

Commenced in 1967 and completed in 1969, the Pindari Dam is a minor dam on the (New South Wales branch of the) Severn River, and is located approximately north of

Inverell Inverell is a large town in northern New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Macintyre River, close to the Queensland border. It is also the centre of Inverell Shire. Inverell is located on the Gwydir Highway on the western slopes of the ...

, on the upper reaches of the river, within the

Border Rivers Borders are generally defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ...

region. The dam was built by Citra Australia Limited under contract to the New South Wales Water Department of Land and Water Conservation. The dam wall height is 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 Lake Pindari is and the catchment area is . The ungated uncontrolled rock cut with concrete sill spillway is capable of discharging . An upgrade of facilities in 1995 involved doubling the height of the wall from its original and increasing capacity to its current levels. Pindari Dam is operated in conjunction with

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

's Glenlyon Dam, located on the

Dumaresq River The Dumaresq River ( Indigenous ) is a perennial stream of the Macintyre catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Northern Tablelands and North West Slopes regions of New South Wales and the Darling Downs region of Que ...

, to supply NSW water users in the Border Rivers valley. The name of the dam originates from the Aboriginal words meaning "high rock" and is the name of an early pastoral run which adjoined the reservoir.

Power generation

Completed in October 2001 at a cost of A$9.2 million, a hydro-electric

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 ...

generates 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 Pindari Dam. Constructed by a consortium including Transfield and

GE Energy GE Power (formerly known as GE Energy) was an American energy technology company owned by General Electric (GE). In April 2024, GE completed the spin-off of GE Power into a separate company, GE Vernova. Following this, General Electric ceased t ...

, the facility is owned and operated by Meridian Energy Australia Pty Limited. The hydro project comprises two horizontal Francis turbines rated at each and made in Norway, a single generator designed by GE Canada and a transformer manufactured in Australia. The turbine is rated for head with a maximum flow of approximately per day. The plant is fully automated and remote controlled. The plant's long-term average energy output has been estimated at of green energy per annum, enough to supply approximately households.

Recreation

Recreation activities on Lake Pindari include bushwalking, picnicking, sailing, swimming, fishing and waterskiing. The foreshore park is a popular local picnic site and camping area on a crown reserve, managed by Inverell Shire Council. There is a lookout on the main dam wall. Recreation facilities include a boat ramp,

barbecue Barbecue or barbeque (often shortened to BBQ worldwide; barbie or barby in Australia and New Zealand) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that employ live fire and smoke to coo ...

s, bush shelter sheds and tables and toilets.

References

External links

* {{WaterNSW Dams completed in 1969 Energy infrastructure completed in 2001 North West Slopes Dams in New South Wales Murray-Darling basin Hydroelectric power stations in New South Wales Embankment dams Inverell Shire

Location and features

Power generation

Recreation

See also

References

External links