Fitzroy Falls Dam

Summary

Fitzroy Falls Dam, located in New South Wales, Australia, is part of the Shoalhaven Scheme, a complex of dams and pipelines that was completed in 1974. It consists of four separate earth and rockfill embankments located on the Yarrunga Creek upstream of Fitzroy Falls and about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) southeast of Moss Vale. The main embankment of 760 cubic metres (27,000 cu ft) is 14 metres (46 ft) high and 1,530 metres (5,020 ft) in length. At 100% capacity, the dam wall holds back approximately 9,950 megalitres (351×10^6 cu ft) of water, creating the impounded Fitzroy Falls Reservoir, which has a surface area of 522 hectares (1,290 acres), drawn from a catchment area of 31 square kilometres (12 sq mi). The spillway has a discharge capacity of 516 cubic metres per second (18,200 cu ft/s).[1][2]

Fitzroy Falls Dam
The Fitzroy Falls Reservoir, 2015
Fitzroy Falls Dam is located in New South Wales
Fitzroy Falls Dam
Location in New South Wales
CountryAustralia
Coordinates34°38′46″S 150°29′15″E / 34.64611°S 150.48750°E / -34.64611; 150.48750
StatusOperational
Opening date1974
Dam and spillways
Type of damEmbankment dam
ImpoundsYarrunga Creek
Height14 m (46 ft)
Length1,530 m (5,020 ft)
Dam volume760 m3 (27,000 cu ft)
Spillway capacity516 m3/s (18,200 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
CreatesFitzroy Falls Reservoir
Total capacity9,950 ML (351×10^6 cu ft)
Catchment area31 km2 (12 sq mi)
Surface area522 ha (1,290 acres)
Website
Fitzroy Falls Reservoir at www.sca.nsw.gov.au

The 3,030-metre (9,940 ft) Wildes Meadow Canal connects the reservoir to the Burrawang Pumping Station. The 2,830-metre (9,280 ft) Burrawang Tunnel and 1,000-metre (3,300 ft) Canal join the pumping station to the Wingecarribee Reservoir.[3]

The Fitzroy Falls Dam is connected to the Bendeela Pondage via the Bendeela Pumping and Power Station, allowing it to act as both a hydroelectric power source and a storage reservoir that can send water to the Tallowa Dam, which feeds the Wingecarribee and Warragamba.[4]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Register of Large Dams in Australia". Dams information. The Australian National Committee on Large Dams Incorporated. 2010. Archived from the original (Excel) on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Fitzroy Falls Reservoir". Water storage and supply report. Sydney Catchment Authority. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  3. ^ Dams of Greater Sydney and surrounds: Shoalhaven (PDF). Sydney Catchment Authority. April 2012. ISBN 978-1-876951-12-2. Retrieved 4 May 2013.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Bendeela Pondage". Sydney Catchment Authority. Archived from the original on 26 April 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2015.