Suma Park Dam is a
concrete arch 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 ...
across the Summer Hill Creek in the
central west 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 main purpose of the dam is to
supply
Supply may refer to:
*The amount of a resource that is available
**Supply (economics), the amount of a product which is available to customers
**Materiel, the goods and equipment for a military unit to fulfill its mission
*Supply, as in confidenc ...
potable water to the city of
Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
. 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 called Suma Park Reservoir.
Location and features
The dam is located east of Orange; with the secondary water source,
Spring Creek Reservoir, located to the south-east of Orange. Built in 1962, Suma Park Dam is owned and maintained by
Orange City Council. Prior to the construction of Suma Park Dam,
Lake Canobolas (then known as Meadow Creek Dam) on the Molong Creek was also used as a domestic water source.
The Suma Park Dam concrete wall is high and the arch crest is long, with a crest width of . At 100% capacity the dam wall holds back of water. The surface area of Suma Park Reservoir is and the catchment area is . The uncontrolled spillway is capable of discharging .
Upgrade
Surveillance and dam safety inspections are conducted regularly by the Orange City Council. In 2005 and 2010, the dam overflowed. In 2011, the Council published a report giving options for raising the height of the dam.
See also
*
List of dams and reservoirs in New South Wales
References
External links
*
{{WaterNSW , state=autocollapse
Dams in New South Wales
Dams completed in 1962
Central West (New South Wales)
Arch dams