Oaky River

Oaky River, a perennial stream of the Macleay River catchment, is located in the Northern Tablelands district of New South Wales, Australia.

Oaky River
Oaky River Dam and gorge
Location
CountryAustralia
StateNew South Wales
IBRANew England Tablelands
DistrictNorthern Tablelands
local government areaArmidale Dumaresq
Physical characteristics
SourceRound Mountain, Sonwy Range, Great Dividing Range
 • locationbelow Point Lookout, near Ebor
 • elevation1,400 m (4,600 ft)
Mouthconfluence with the Chandler River
 • location
near Jeogla
 • elevation
277 m (909 ft)
Length60 km (37 mi)
Basin features
River systemMacleay River catchment
Tributaries 
 • rightPonds Creek
National parkCathedral Rock NP, New England NP
[1]

Course and features

Oaky River rises on the southern slopes of Round Mountain, the highest peak of the Snowy Range, a spur of the Great Dividing Range south southwest of Ebor, and flows generally southwest, joined by one minor tributary before reaching its confluence with the Chandler River, southwest of Jeogla. The river descends 881 metres (2,890 ft) over its 51 kilometres (32 mi) course;[1] rapidly descending into a deep gorge where it meets the Chandler River.

The upper reaches of Oaky River are transversed by the Waterfall Way between Wollomombi and Ebor.

Oaky River and its tributaries are trout streams and platypus may be sighted in the waters.[2][3]

Reservoir & Hydroelectric Power Station

The river is impounded by Oaky River Dam, located approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Armidale. At capacity, the dam covers around 42 hectares (100 acres) and holds 2,780 megalitres (98×10^6 cu ft) of water. A hydroelectric power station is located at the dam and the flow of water is used to generate electricity. The power station has five turbines that generate 12 megawatts (16,000 hp). Zihni Buzo OAM,[4] an Albanian refugee and Harvard-educated civil engineer and the father of Australian playwright, Alex Buzo, was the leading engineer on the construction of the dam and hydroelectric scheme.[5][6][7] This dam burst in February 2013 and is no longer viable.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Map of Oaky River, NSW". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  2. "Trout and salmon fishing rules: Northern NSW Trout Waters". Fishing and aquaculture. NSW Primary Industries. Archived from the original on 21 August 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  3. "About us". Wakefield Charolais. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  4. "Search Australian Honours: BUZO, Zihni Jusuf". It's an Honour. Commonwealth of Australia. 26 January 1991. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1ybYnpJHKo
  6. Buzo, Emma (September 2009). "The Buzo family and Armidale: A rich history". Norm and Ahmed. The Alex Buzo Company. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  7. Buzo, Zihni (c. 2000). "Albania to Australia" (Unpublished manuscript). National Library of Australia. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  8. http://www.damsafety.nsw.gov.au/DSC/Download/ANCOLD%20Paper/ANCOLD%202014%20Conf%20paper_Oaky%20River%20Dam%20Failure_Notes.pdf

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