The Scotts Peak Dam is a 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 ...

without a

spillway A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure tha ...

across the

Huon River The Huon River ( , Aboriginal_Tasmanians#South_East, Mellukerdee/palawa kani: ''Taloonne'') is a perennial river in the South West Tasmania, southwest and southeast regions of Tasmania, Australia. At long, the Huon River is the fifth-longest in ...

, located in the South West region of

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

, Australia. 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 ...

, also formed with the Edgar Dam and the Serpentine Dam, is called

Lake Pedder Lake Pedder, once a glacial outwash lake, is a man-made impoundment and diversion lake located in South West Tasmania, Australia. In addition to its natural catchment from the Frankland Range, the lake is formed by the 1972 damming of the ...

which flooded Lake Edgar, a naturally forming

fault scarp A fault scarp is a small step-like offset of the ground surface in which one side of a fault has shifted vertically in relation to the other. The topographic expression of fault scarps results from the differential erosion of rocks of contrastin ...

pond. The dam was constructed in 1973 by the Hydro Electric Corporation (TAS) as part of the Gordon River Power Development Scheme for the purpose of generating

hydro-electric power Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is 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 sources combined and also ...

via the conventional Gordon Power Station. Water from Lake Pedder is diverted to

Lake Gordon Lake Gordon is a man-made reservoir created by the Gordon Dam, located on the upper reaches of the Gordon River in the south-west region of Tasmania, Australia. Features The reservoir was formed in the early 1970s as a result of the dam const ...

(formed by the

Gordon Dam The Gordon Dam, also known as the Gordon River Dam, is a major gated double curvature concrete arch dam with a controlled Spillway#Types, spillway across the Gordon River, located in Southwest National Park, Tasmania, Australia. The impounded r ...

) via the McPartlan Pass Canal.

Location and features

The Scotts Peak Dam, together with the Edgar Dam and the Serpentine Dam, are three major dams that form the headwaters for the Gordon River Power Development Scheme. The dam is located near Lake Pedder's most easterly point in the upper reaches of the Huon River where the river descends from the Marsden Range and descends into what is now known as the Huon Basin. Also at the southern end of the Lake Pedder, the Scotts Peak Dam impounds the upper reaches of the Huon River. At the northwestern end of the lake is impounded by the Serpentine Dam across the Serpentine River. The water in Lake Pedder provides around 40% of the water used in the Gordon Power Station. The water flows to Lake Gordon via McPartlan Canal. Water from Lake Gordon then exits through the Gordon Dam. Built on a foundation of rock and soil, the Scotts Peak Dam wall was constructed with of rockfill and faced with asphalt. The dam wall is high and long. At 100% capacity the dam wall holds back of water. The surface area of Lake Pedder is and the catchment area is . The dam wall does not have a spillway. This non-hydroelectric dam helps retain water in the new impoundment, which then flows to Lake Gordon via the McPartlans Pass Canal at . In 2001 the dam was recorded as an Historic Engineering Marker along with twenty-four other dams by

Engineers Australia Engineers Australia (EA), known formally as the Institution of Engineers, Australia, is an Australian professional body and Non-profit organization, not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to advance the science and practice of engineerin ...

Controversy

The construction of Scotts Peak Dam was controversial as it was built to flood Lake Pedder and extend the reservoir for the

. A small greens movement was formed it response, which mobilised in the 1980s to stop the proposed Franklin River Dam.

Problems

In the 2008 edition of ''Ticklebelly Tales'' engineers associated with the dam acknowledge that there were issues leaks as soon as it was built. Evidence of deformation is still current in the 2010s.

Climate

Due to its far south-western location, this site is frequently lashed by severe weather; with a mean annual wind speed of , peaking at a mean of in September. Cloud cover is likewise extreme, with precipitation falling on 269 days of the year and as much as 27 days in July. Snow is a common occurrence throughout the year and can even occur in the summer.

References

{{GordonPowerDevelopment 1973 establishments in Australia Dams completed in 1973 1973 controversies Hydro Tasmania dams Lake Pedder Rock-filled dams Embankment dams Gordon River power development scheme Recipients of Engineers Australia engineering heritage markers Huon River

Location and features

Controversy

Problems

Climate

See also

References