Island Bend Dam Explained

Island Bend Dam
Location Map:New South Wales
Location Map Caption:Location of the Island Bend Dam in
New South Wales
Coordinates:-36.3194°N 148.4703°W
Country:Australia
Location:Snowy Mountains, New South Wales
Status:O
Opening:1965
Owner:Snowy Hydro
Dam Type:G
Dam Crosses:Snowy River
Spillway Count:1
Spillway Type:Controlled
Res Name:Island Bend Pondage

Island Bend Dam is a major gated concrete gravity dam with a controlled spillway across the Snowy River in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales, Australia. The dam's main purpose is for the diversion of water for generation of hydro-power and is one of the sixteen major dams that comprise the Snowy Mountains Scheme, a vast hydroelectricity and irrigation complex constructed in south-east Australia between 1949 and 1974 and now run by Snowy Hydro.

The impounded reservoir is called the Island Bend Pondage.

Location and features

Completed in 1965, Island Bend Dam is a major dam, located within the Snowy Monaro Regional Council, adjacent to the locality of Island Bend. The dam was constructed by Utah Construction and Engineering Pty Limited based on engineering plans developed under contract from the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Authority.

The dam wall comprising of concrete is high and long. At 100% capacity the dam wall holds back of water. The surface area of Island Bend Pondage is and the catchment area is . The controlled spillway is capable of discharging .[1] [2]

The dam receives water from Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene through the Snowy-Island Bend and Snowy-Eucumbene tunnels respectively. The combined water is then sent West through the Snowy-Geehi trans-mountain tunnel to Geehi Dam for generation in the Murray Power Stations. Water can flow the reverse direction, to Eucumbene and Jindabyne from Geehi for storage during periods of high river flow, or otherwise.[3]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Register of Large Dams in Australia. Excel (requires download). The Australian National Committee on Large Dams Incorporated. 2010. 12 May 2013. Dams information. 12 December 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131212120804/http://www.ancold.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Dams-Australia-2010-v1-for-website.xls. dead.
  2. Web site: Dams . Snowy Mountains Scheme . . 12 May 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130503080615/http://www.snowyhydro.com.au/energy/hydro/dams/ . 3 May 2013 .
  3. Book: Engineering Features of the Snowy Mountains Scheme . Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority . 1972 . 0642955816 . 1st . Cooma.