Burrendong Dam
The Burrendong Dam is a major dam on the Macquarie River in New South Wales, Australia. It is upriver of Wellington in the central west region. It is an embankment style gated dam. The wall is filled with rock and has a clay core. The dam was built and is used for flood mitigation, irrigation, water supply and hydro-electric power generation. The dam creates Lake Burrendong and is filled by the Macquarie and Cudgegong rivers and Meroo Creek.
The lake formed by the dam, named Lake Burrendong, is popular for fishing and general tourism.
History and location
The dam was built by the New South Wales Water Conservation & Irrigation Commission. Construction began in 1958. It finished in 1967. It was built to reduce flooding, for irrigation, and to supply a relatively constant water supply. The dam is about southeast of Wellington in the Wellington Shire local government area. The name Burrendong comes from the Wiradjuri word for koala (burrandhang).
Features
The dam wall is high and is long. Normal water depth is . When the dam is full the water level is AHD. At full capacity the dam holds , with an additional flood mitigation capacity of , and has a surface area of . The dam collects water from an area of . The spillway on the dam is a gated concrete chute, able to release .
A major upgrade took place place between 2010 and is expected to be completed in 2015. The project costs AU$32 million. It will ensure the dam reaches modern safety standards. During the upgrade the main dam will be raised , the current spillway will be modified and another spillway added.
Power generation
The dam includes a hydro-electric power station. This was completed in August 1996. It was opened by the Premier of New South Wales, Bob Carr, on 9 February 1999. The station can generate up to of electricity and each year the power station generates about . The station was originally operated by Power Facilities Pty Limited. It is now managed by AGL Energy.
References
Dams
Buildings and structures in New South Wales
Hydropower
Lakes of Australia
Power plants
1967 establishments in Oceania
1960s establishments in Australia