The Serpentine Dam is a
rockfill embankment dam with a
concrete face and a
controlled spillway across the
Serpentine River, located in the
South West region of
Tasmania, Australia.
The impounded
reservoir, also formed with the
Edgar Dam
The Edgar Dam is an earthfill embankment saddle dam without a spillway, located offstream in the South West region of Tasmania, Australia.
The impounded reservoir, also formed with the Scotts Peak Dam and the Serpentine Dam, is called Lake P ...
and the
Scotts Peak Dam, is called
Lake Pedder which flooded
Lake Edgar, a naturally forming
fault scarp pond. The dam was constructed in 1971 by the
Hydro Electric Corporation (TAS) as part of the Gordon River Power Development Scheme for the purpose of generating
hydro-electric power via the
conventional Gordon Power Station
The Gordon Power Station is the largest Hydroelectricity#Conventional (dams), conventional hydroelectric power station in Tasmania, Australia; located in the South West Tasmania, South West region of the state. The power station is situated on ...
. Water from Lake Pedder is diverted to
Lake Gordon (formed by the
Gordon Dam) via the McPartlan Pass Canal.
Location and features
The Serpentine Dam, together with the Edgar Dam and the Scotts Peak Dam, are three major dams that form the headwaters for the Gordon River Power Development Scheme. The dam is located near Lake Pedder's most northwesterly point where the Serpentine River descends from the
Frankland Range into what is now known as the Pedder Reach. At the southern end of the Lake Pedder, the Scotts Peak Dam impounds the upper reaches of the
Huon River
The Huon River is a perennial river located in the south-west and south-east regions of Tasmania, Australia. At in length, the Huon River is the fifth-longest in the state, with its course flowing east through the fertile Huon Valley and e ...
. The Edgar Dam forms a
saddle dam at Lake Pedder's most easterly point. The water in Lake Pedder provides around 40% of the water used in the Gordon Power Station. The water flows to Lake Gordon via McPartlan Canal.
[ Water from Lake Gordon then exits through the Gordon Power Station releasing via the tailrace into the Gordon River.
Built on a foundation of rock and soil, the Serpentine Dam wall was constructed with of rockfill and faced with concrete. The dam wall is high and long. At 100% capacity the dam wall holds back of water. The surface area of Lake Pedder is and the catchment area is . The dam wall has a controlled spillway capable of discharging .]
This non-hydroelectric dam helps retain water in the new impoundment, which then flows to Lake Gordon via the McPartlans Pass Canal at .
The construction of the Serpentine Dam resulted in the loss of one of the significant sub-populations of the endangered ''Centrolepis
''Centrolepis'' is a genus of small herbaceous plants in the family Restionaceae known as thorn grass scales, with about 25 species native to Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and south-east Asia as far north as Hainan Dao. APG III system class ...
pedderensis'', while the nearby Gordon Dam caused the loss of another. It is now only known to exist in one location on the Frankland Range. One sub-population existed along the Serpentine River and is now inundated as a direct cause of the creation of this dam.
See also
* List of dams in Tasmania
References
{{GordonPowerDevelopment
South West Tasmania
Hydro Tasmania dams
Embankment dams
Dams completed in 1971
Infrastructure in Tasmania
Gordon River power development scheme