The Googong Dam is an earth and rock-fill embankment dam comprising an adjacent saddle embankment across the Queanbeyan River, located upstream of Queanbeyan in the Capital Country region of New South Wales, Australia. The dam's purpose includes water supply for Canberra and Queanbeyan. The impounded reservoir is called Googong Reservoir.
The Googong Dam was created through enabling legislation enacted via the passage of the Canberra Water Supply (Googong Dam) Act, 1974.
History A green ban was briefly imposed by the Builders Labourers Federation for a few days until adequate assurances that marine life in Lake Burley Griffin would not be harmed.
Location and features Completed in 1977, the Googong Dam is a minor dam across the Queanbeyan River and Bradleys Creek and is located approximately south of the city of Queanbeyan on the lower reaches of the river. The dam was built by Thiess Bros, based on designs developed by the Commonwealth Department of Construction; and is now managed by Icon Water.
The main earth and rock-filled dam wall is high and is long. The adjacent earth-filled saddle dam is high. When full, the resultant reservoir holds of water, covers approximately that is drawn from a catchment area of . The concrete chute spillway is capable of discharging .
Successive flood events in 1978 and through the 1980s resulted in extensive erosion in the unlined section of the spillway chute, including a large erosion hole, up to deep and wide, in the upper part of the spillway chute. Staged remedial works were undertaken in the 1980s to protect the eroded structure. Remediation of spillway facilities occurred from 2006 through to 2010 that resulted in an increase in the capacity of the spillway, construction of walls in the spillway chute extension up to high, and a range of other enhancements to meet extreme flood events. In 2016, with more regular spillway overflows and to improve safety for waterway users, Icon Water installed a floating safety barrier across the spillway, with a gate for authorised vessel access.
See also
List of dams and reservoirs in New South Wales List of dams and reservoirs in the Australian Capital Territory
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