The Serpentine Dam is a rockfill 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, aqua ...

with a

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

face and a

controlled 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 ...

across the Serpentine River, located in the

South West Southwest is a compass point. Southwest, south-west, south west, southwestern or south-western or south western may also refer to: * Southwest (direction), an intercardinal direction Geography *South West Queensland, Australia *South West (Weste ...

region of

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

, Australia. The impounded

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

, 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 The Scotts Peak Dam is a rockfill embankment dam without a spillway across the Huon River, located in the South West region of Tasmania, Australia. The impounded reservoir, also formed with the Edgar Dam and the Serpentine Dam, is called La ...

, is called

Lake Pedder Lake Pedder, once a glacial outwash lake, is a man-made impoundment and diversion lake located in South West Tasmania, Australia. In addition to its natural catchment from the Frankland Range, the lake is formed by the 1972 damming of the ...

which flooded Lake Edgar, a naturally forming

fault scarp A fault scarp is a small step-like offset of the ground surface in which one side of a fault has shifted vertically in relation to the other. The topographic expression of fault scarps results from the differential erosion of rocks of contrastin ...

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 Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and also ...

via the conventional Gordon Power Station. Water from Lake Pedder is diverted to

Lake Gordon Lake Gordon is a man-made reservoir created by the Gordon Dam, located on the upper reaches of the Gordon River in the south-west region of Tasmania, Australia. Features The reservoir was formed in the early 1970s as a result of the dam const ...

(formed by the

Gordon Dam The Gordon Dam, also known as the Gordon River Dam, is a major gated double curvature concrete arch dam with a controlled Spillway#Types, spillway across the Gordon River, located in Southwest National Park, Tasmania, Australia. The impounded r ...

) 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 The Frankland Range is a mountain range that is located in the south-west region of Tasmania, Australia. The range forms part of a natural south-western border to the impounded Lake Pedder, formed by the damming of the Serpentine and Huon r ...

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 ( , Aboriginal_Tasmanians#South_East, Mellukerdee/palawa kani: ''Taloonne'') is a perennial river in the South West Tasmania, southwest and southeast regions of Tasmania, Australia. At long, the Huon River is the fifth-longest in ...

. The Edgar Dam forms a

saddle 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, aqua ...

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 clas ...

pedderensis'' (a small herbaceous plant), 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.

References

{{GordonPowerDevelopment Hydro Tasmania dams Embankment dams Dams completed in 1971 Infrastructure in Tasmania Gordon River power development scheme

Location and features

See also

References