| Glenmaggie Dam | |
| Location Map: | Victoria |
| Coordinates: | -37.9047°N 146.8°W |
| Country: | Australia |
| Purpose: | I |
| Status: | O |
| Construction Began: | 1919 |
| Opening: | 1927 |
| Owner: | Southern Rural Water |
| Dam Type: | G |
| Dam Volume: | 77000m2 |
| Spillway Count: | 2 |
| Res Name: | Lake Glenmaggie |
| Res Capacity Total: | 190.41e6m3 |
| Res Capacity Active: | 177.628e6m3 |
| Res Capacity Inactive: | 4.86e6m3 |
| Plant Name: | Glenmaggie Power Station |
| Plant Commission: | 1994 |
| Website: | Glenmaggie Dam at Southern Rural Water |
The Glenmaggie Dam is a concrete block-foundation gravity dam with 14 radial arm gates across the Macalister River, located near, Central Gippsland, in the Australian state of Victoria. The dam's purpose includes irrigation, the generation of hydro-electric power, water supply and conservation. The impounded reservoir is called Lake Glenmaggie.
Construction of the Glenmaggie Dam commenced in 1919, was completed in 1927 and constructed by the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission of Victoria. When full following its construction, the dam held 132000ML[1] and provided irrigation to approximately of farming land in the Central Gippsland region; via a gravity irrigation systems to properties in the Macalister Irrigation District, near the towns of,, and Sale. The Macalister Irrigation District covers about around the Macalister and Thomson rivers, extending from Lake Glenmaggie to Sale. It comprises two areas: the Maffra-Sale Irrigation Area to the north of the Thomson River and the Central Gippsland Area (including the Nambrok-Denison Soldier Settlement district) to the south.
The Glenmaggie Dam wall, which creates the Glenmaggie Lake, is a mass concrete overfall dam with irrigation outlets on both sides of the river serving irrigation channels. The central portion is an overfall spillway.[2] The dam wall was raised in 1958 by the addition of gates; stabilised using ground anchors in 1989; and upgraded in 2003 to enable it to withstand overtopping.[2]
In 1994, a hydro-electric power station with two Francis turbine-generators was commissioned, with a capacity of and generating per annum.[3] [4]
In June 2007, the Macalister catchment experienced record flooding. Inflows into Lake Glenmaggie peaked in excess of 250000ML per day and releases peaked at 147000ML per day. A second flood occurred in November 2007 with inflows into Lake Glenmaggie peaking at 70000ML per day and releases peaking at 59000ML per day. Repairs totaling around 4 million were completed after the June and November 2007 floods.[1]
There is a local legend that the lake is haunted by a ghost by the name of Matilda Power who died in an unfortunate accident back in 1939. It's rumoured that her ghost roams the shores to this day looking for her car that was lost in over 14 feet of water. Local ghost hunters say that she's often spotted by the lake at the end of Gillum Road, particularly in March each year.[5]