Deep Creek Dam (New South Wales)

Deep Creek Dam
Deep Creek Dam
	Location of Deep Creek Dam in; New South Wales
Location	Snowy Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates	36°00′35.7″S 148°20′37.2″E / 36.009917°S 148.343667°E
Status	Operational
Opening date	1961
Owner(s)	Snowy Hydro
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Gravity dam
Impounds	Deep Creek
Height	21.3 metres (70 ft)
Length	54.9 metres (180 ft)
Dam volume	4,080 cubic metres (144,000 cu ft)
Spillways	1
Spillway type	Uncontrolled
Spillway capacity	312 cubic metres per second (11,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Deep Creek Reservoir
Total capacity	11 megalitres (390×103 cu ft)
Catchment area	9.68 square kilometres (3.74 sq mi)
Surface area	2 hectares (4.9 acres)

Deep Creek Dam is a major ungated concrete gravity dam across the Deep Creek in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. The dam's main purpose is for the diversion of water for generation of hydro-power and is the smallest 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 Deep Creek Reservoir.

Location and features

Completed in 1961, Deep Creek Dam is a major dam, located within the Snowy Valleys local government area. The dam was constructed based on engineering plans developed under contract by the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Authority.^[1]

The dam wall comprising 4,000 cubic metres (140,000 cu ft) of concrete is 21 metres (69 ft) high and 55 metres (180 ft) long. At 100% capacity the dam wall holds back 11 megalitres (390×10^³ cu ft) of water. The surface area of Deep Creek Reservoir is 2 hectares (4.9 acres) and the catchment area is 9.68 square kilometres (3.74 sq mi). The uncontrolled spillway is capable of discharging 312 cubic metres per second (11,000 cu ft/s).^[1]^[2]

The water behind the dam is diverted into the Tooma – Tumut Tunnel through a siphon intake along with 3 other intakes on the Tunnel to Tumut Pond Reservoir, for use in the Tumut Valley Power Stations.
Below the dam wall, Deep Creek flows into the Tooma River, before emptying into the Murray River within the Murray–Darling basin.

References

^ ^a ^b "Register of Large Dams in Australia". Dams information. The Australian National Committee on Large Dams Incorporated. 2010. Archived from the original (Excel (requires download)) on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
^ "Dams". Snowy Mountains Scheme. Snowy Hydro. Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.