Rydal Dam is a minor ungated homogeneous earthfill embankment

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

with a

fuse plug A fuse plug is a collapsible dam installed on spillways in dams to increase the dam's capacity. The principle behind the fuse plug is that the majority of water that overflows a dam's spillway can be safely dammed except in high flood condition ...

uncontrolled open channel spillway across an off stream storage, located near Rydal in the

Central Tablelands The Central Tablelands in New South Wales is a geographic area that lies between the Sydney Metropolitan Area and the Central Western Slopes and Plains. The Great Dividing Range passes in a north–south direction through the Central Tablelands ...

region 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. The dam's purpose is to provide

water storage Water storage is a broad term referring to storage of both potable water for consumption, and non potable water for use in agriculture. In both developing countries and some developed countries found in tropical climates, there is a need to store p ...

for

Delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta") * Delta Air Lines, US * Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 Delta may also ...

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 ...

s at

Wallerawang Wallerawang is a small township in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately northwest of Lithgow, New South Wales, Lithgow adjacent to the Great Western Highway. It is also located on the Main Western ra ...

and

Mount Piper Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

. 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 also called the Rydal Dam.

Location and features

Commenced in 1956, completed in 1957, and upgraded in 1989 and 1996, the Rydal Dam is a minor ungated dam, located approximately north of Rydal, south-west of Lithgow. The dam was built by WV Hall and Elliott on behalf of the New South Wales Department of Land and Water Conservation for industrial purposes. Water from the Rydal Dam feeds the Fish River Water Supply, which is a unique regional water supply scheme and is the only scheme in eastern Australia to transfer western flowing water east of the Great Dividing Range. In addition to Rydal Dam, the scheme comprises Oberon Dam, a weir on the Duckmaloi River, a water treatment plant, and extensive pipeline network supplying water to

Oberon Oberon () is a king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', in which he is King of the Fairies and spouse of Titania, Queen of the Fairi ...

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, Mount Piper Power Station,

town, Wallerawang Power Station, Lithgow and the Upper Blue Mountains. Lake Lyell and Lake Wallace, although officially not part of the scheme, also provide water storage for Wallerawang and Mount Piper power stations. The dam wall, constructed with earthfill, is high and long. The maximum water depth is and at 100% capacity the dam wall holds back of water at an elevation of approximately AHD. The surface area of the reservoir is and the catchment area is . The uncontrolled open channel spillway with fuse plug is capable of discharging .

References

{{WaterNSW , state=autocollapse Dams in New South Wales Central Tablelands Embankment dams Dams completed in 1957 Rydal, New South Wales

Location and features

See also

References