Stephens Creek Dam

The Stephens Creek Dam is an earth-filled embankment dam built on a rock foundation with an uncontrolled spillway across the Stephens Creek, located in the Far West region of New South Wales, Australia. The principal purpose of the dam is to supply potable water for the town of Broken Hill. The impounded 2,000-megalitre (71×10^6 cu ft) reservoir is called Stephens Creek Reservoir.

Stephens Creek Dam
Embankment of Stevens Creek, Broken Hill Reservoir, circa 1910
Stephens Creek Dam is located in New South Wales
Stephens Creek Dam
Location of the Stephens Creek Dam
in New South Wales
CountryAustralia
LocationFar West, New South Wales
Coordinates31°52′26″S 141°34′55″E
PurposePotable water supply
StatusOperational
Opening date1892
Owner(s)Essential Energy
Dam and spillways
Type of damEmbankment dam
ImpoundsStephens Creek
Height15 m (49 ft)
Length140 m (460 ft)
Dam volume112×10^3 m3 (4.0×10^6 cu ft)
Spillway typeUncontrolled
Spillway capacity900 m3/s (32,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
CreatesStephens Creek Reservoir
Total capacity2,000 ML (71×10^6 cu ft)
Catchment area512 km2 (198 sq mi)
Surface area8.5 km2 (3.3 sq mi)
[1]

Location and features

The dam was completed in 1892 by the Broken Hill Water Supply Company to provide a continuing water source for drought-ridden Broken Hill. The reservoir soon became inadequate and a further reservoir, Umberumberka, was built to add to the water supply. Stephens Creek Reservoir remains the primary water source for Broken Hill, a city of around 20,000 people and is a popular picnic area.

The height of the dam wall is 15 metres (49 ft), and 140 metres (460 ft) in length. The earth-filled embankment wall is 112×10^3 m3 (4.0×10^6 cu ft) by volume. The uncontrolled spillway discharges overflow at the rate of 900 cubic metres per second (32,000 cu ft/s). The reservoir has a maximum storage capacity of 2,000 megalitres (71×10^6 cu ft), over a surface area of 8.5 square kilometres (3.3 sq mi), and drawn from a catchment area of 510 square kilometres (200 sq mi).[1]

The facility is owned and operated by Essential Energy, which, prior to 2004 was Australian Inland Energy and Water.

See also

References

  1. "Register of Large Dams in Australia". Dams information. Australian National Committee on Large Dams. 2010. Archived from the original (Excel (requires download)) on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2014.


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