Stephens Creek Dam Explained

Stephens Creek Dam
Location Map:New South Wales
Location Map Caption:Location of the Stephens Creek Dam
in New South Wales
Coordinates:-31.8739°N 141.5819°W
Country:Australia
Location:Far West, New South Wales
Purpose:Potable water supply
Status:O
Opening:1892
Owner:Essential Energy
Dam Type:E
Dam Crosses:Stephens Creek
Dam Length:140m (460feet)
Dam Height:15m (49feet)
Dam Volume:112e3m3
Spillway Type:Uncontrolled
Spillway Capacity:900m3/s
Res Name:Stephens Creek Reservoir
Res Capacity Total:2000ML
Res Catchment:512km2
Res Surface:8.5km2

The Stephens Creek Dam is an earth-filled embankment dam built on a rock foundation with an uncontrolled spillway across the Stephens Creek, located in the Far West region of New South Wales, Australia. The principal purpose of the dam is to supply potable water for the town of . The impounded 2000ML reservoir is called Stephens Creek Reservoir.

Location and features

The dam was completed in 1892 by the Broken Hill Water Supply Company to provide a continuing water source for drought-ridden Broken Hill. The reservoir soon became inadequate and a further reservoir, Umberumberka, was built to add to the water supply. Stephens Creek Reservoir remains the primary water source for Broken Hill, a city of around people and is a popular picnic area.

The height of the dam wall is, and in length. The earth-filled embankment wall is 112e3m3 by volume. The uncontrolled spillway discharges overflow at the rate of . The reservoir has a maximum storage capacity of, over a surface area of, and drawn from a catchment area of .[1]

The facility is owned and operated by Essential Energy, which, prior to 2004 was Australian Inland Energy and Water.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Register of Large Dams in Australia. Excel (requires download). Australian National Committee on Large Dams. 2010. 11 March 2014. 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.