Chichester Dam is a minor concrete
gravity dam
A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation to oppose the horizontal pressure of water pushing against it. ...
across the
Chichester
Chichester () is a cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only ci ...
and
Wangat rivers, upstream of
Dungog
Dungog is a country town on the Williams River in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. Located in the middle of dairy and timber country, it is the centre of the Dungog Shire local government area and at the 2016 census it had a po ...
, in the
Hunter Region
The Hunter Region, also commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney. It contains the Hunter River and its tributaries with highland areas to the north and so ...
of
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. The dam's main purpose is
water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...
for the Lower Hunter region. A mini
hydro-electric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...
power station
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid.
Many p ...
operates at times of peak flow and is connected to the national grid. The impounded
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
is Lake Chichester.
Location and features
Commenced in 1917 and completed in 1926, the Chichester Dam is a minor dam on the Chichester River, a tributary of the
Williams River, approximately north of Dungog. The dam contributes about thirty-five percent of the lower Hunter region's water supply.
The dam wall is high and is long and was constructed using a cyclopean system of interlocking concrete blocks and large boulders with a volume of . The wall is anchored to the bedrock below it by 93 stressed tendons. At 100% capacity the dam wall holds back of water at
AHD. The
spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure tha ...
is capable of discharging . The surface area of the reservoir is and the catchment area, largely located within the
Barrington Tops National Park, is . The dam is connected to reservoirs in
Maitland
Maitland is an English and Scottish surname. It arrived in Britain after the Norman conquest of 1066. There are two theories about its source. It is either a nickname reference to "bad temper/disposition" (Old French, ''Maltalent''; Anglo Norm ...
,
Cessnock and
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
by an long gravitation
main
Main may refer to:
Geography
* Main River (disambiguation)
**Most commonly the Main (river) in Germany
* Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province
*"Spanish Main", the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territories in the 16th and 17th centuries
...
.
History
Land for the water supply scheme was appropriated in the Gazette of 6 October 1916. To safeguard the purity of the water the populated part of the Wangat Valley, including the old goldmining town of Wangat, and the greater portion of the populated part of the Chichester Valley were resumed. The
Act appropriated
A£
The pound (Sign: £, £A for distinction) was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 14 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. As with other £sd currencies, it was subdivided into 20 shillings (denoted by the symbol s ...
as the estimated cost of construction of the dam, with additional funds set aside for land resumption.
In 1965 the spillway was lowered by to increase flood capacity. In 1985 the dam was post tensioned with cables and the spillway was relocated to the centre of the dam and returned to its original height. In 1995 the seepage potential was reduced under the northern abutment and in 2003 an improved drainage system for the dam's foundations was installed and the left parapet wall was raised to prevent overtopping in a major flood.
[
]
Power generation
Following a report by the Health Rivers Commission, in 1998 the Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning, Craig Knowles
Craig John Knowles (born 27 February 1959) is a former Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1990 to 2005.
Early life
Knowles' parents were Marie and Stan Knowles, member for Ingleburn from 1981 to ...
, announced that a small hydro-electric power station would be installed in the Chichester Dam in order to generate electricity, reduce greenhouse emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and la ...
and allow surplus power to be sold back to the grid. Completed in 2001 and operated by Delta Electricity
Delta Electricity is an electricity generation company in Australia. The company was formed by the Government of New South Wales in 1996 as part of its reform of the electricity sector in the State, which saw the breakup of the Electricity Commi ...
, the mini-power station generates up to of electricity at times of peak flow; with an average annual generation of .
See also
* List of dams and reservoirs in New South Wales
References
External links
*
*
{{Hunter Region places and items of interest , state=autocollapse
Dams completed in 1926
Energy infrastructure completed in 2001
Dams in New South Wales
Dungog Shire
Hunter Region
Gravity dams
Hydroelectric power stations in New South Wales
Reservoirs in New South Wales