Googong Dam

Googong Dam is a minor ungated earth and rock fill with clay core embankment dam with concrete chute spillway plus a nearby 13 metres (43 ft) high earthfill saddle embankment across the Queanbeyan River upstream of Queanbeyan in the Capital Country region of New South Wales, Australia. The dam's purpose includes water supply for Canberra and Queanbeyan. The impounded reservoir is called Googong Reservoir.

Googong Dam
Googong Dam wall and reservoir, 2006
Location of the Googong Dam in
New South Wales
CountryAustralia
LocationQueanbeyan, New South Wales
Coordinates35°24′54″S 149°15′04″E
PurposeWater supply
StatusOperational
Opening date1979
Owner(s)Commonwealth of Australia, [Icon Water] (manage)
Dam and spillways
Type of damEmbankment dam
ImpoundsQueanbeyan River
Height66 m (217 ft)
Length417 m (1,368 ft)
Elevation at crest663 m (2,175 ft) AHD
Dam volume818 m3 (28,900 cu ft)
Spillways2
Spillway typeConverging chute
Spillway capacity10,500 m3/s (370,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
CreatesGoogong Reservoir
Total capacity121,083 ML (2.6635×1010 imp gal; 3.1987×1010 US gal)
Catchment area873 km2 (337 sq mi)
Surface area696 ha (1,720 acres)

Googong Dam was created through enabling legislation enacted via the passage of the Canberra Water Supply (Goodong Dam) Act, 1974.[1]

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 would not be harmed.[2]

Location and features

Completed in 1979, the Googong Dam is a minor dam on the Queanbeyan River and Bradleys Creek and is located approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of the town 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.[3][4][5]

The dam wall height is 66 metres (217 ft) and is 417 metres (1,368 ft) long. At 100% capacity the dam wall holds back 121,083 megalitres (4,276.0×10^6 cu ft) of water at 663 metres (2,175 ft) AHD. The surface area of Googong Reservoir is 696 hectares (1,720 acres) and the catchment area is 873 square kilometres (337 sq mi). The ungated concrete chute spillway is capable of discharging 10,500 cubic metres per second (370,000 cu ft/s).[3][5] 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 19 metres (62 ft) deep and 25 metres (82 ft) 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 17 metres (56 ft) high, and a range of other enhancements to meet extreme flood events.[5][6]

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

References
  1. Canberra Water Supply (Goodong Dam) Act, 1974 (Cth)
  2. Burgmann, Verity and Meredith (1998). Green Bans, Red Union: Environmental Activism and the New South Wales Builders Labourers' Federation. pp. 52–53.
  3. "Register of Large Dams in Australia" (Excel (requires download)). Dams information. The Australian National Committee on Large Dams Incorporated. 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  4. "Googong Dam". Water & Sewerage Systems: ACT Water Supply System: The Water Network: Water Storage. ACTEW Water. 2011. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  5. "Googong Dam Spillway Upgrade". Projects. GHD Group. 2013. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  6. "Googong Dam Spillway Remediation". Our Projects: Other Projects. ACTEW Water. 2011. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
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