Burrinjuck Dam
Location: Burrinjuck, NSW 2582
Constructed: 1907 - 1927
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Burrinjuck Dam gives its name to the Burrinjuck Waters State Park. The park and dam provide a stunning setting for bushwalking, camping, water sports or just relaxing in a beautiful natural setting. Burrinjuck Dam was the first of its type, providing water to irrigation farmers, and is now also an award-winning hydro-electric power station.
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Physical Description
Burrinjuck Dam is situated on the Murrumbidgee River 60km by road from Yass in southern NSW. The dam is part of a larger system of weirs and controls which include that of Blowering Dam and Berembed Weir. Burrinjuck Dam provides water supplies for the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area which has a combination of licensed agricultural, irrigation and stock use, with also town and domestic users. Apart from acting in a regulatory role the dam can also pass water through its 10 megawatt hydro-electric power station thus becoming a very fast and clean supply of electricity.
The Dam is a steel reinforced cyclopean concrete gravitation dam. Large rocks known as granite plums were mixed with cyclopean concrete during construction as a cost saving measure. The dam is approximately 93m high and 340m wide, and stores more than 1,026,000 ML of water. Link to the dam is a pump house, left and right spillways and a hydro electric power generation system. (DLWC S170 Register) |
Modifications
1907-1927: Dam construction
1940-1957: Remedial works
1980: Dam height increased |
History
Burrinjuck Dam, originally called Barren Jack Dam, was a significant part of the scheme launched under the Barren Jack and Murrumbidgee Canals Construction Act 1906. The dam is the first major water storage built specially for irrigation purposes in NSW. It provided water for the large government-sponsored Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme which enabled agriculture to expand in the area. The dam was also part of the State's first hydro-electric sheme. At the time of its contruction, the dam attracted international interest as the 4th largest in the world. In 1911 the dam's name changed from Barren Jack to Burrinjuck. The dam was designed by the Department of Public Works. Work began in 1907 and was completed in 1927. Following major flooding in 1929, substantial remedial works commenced in 1940 but were interrupted between 1941-47 by WW2. The remedial and strengthening works which included enlargement of the southern spillway were completed in 1957. Circa 1980, further upgrading work to secure the dam against once-in-100,000 year flood was carried out. The height of the dam's wall was increased by some 13.4m, the new wall crest bolted down to its foundations by post-tensioned steel cables. The innovative technoogy attracted engineering attention. (DLWC S170 Register)
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Internet links
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Attraction Homepage |
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Data
| Name of Item: |
Burrinjuck Dam |
| Other Name/s: |
Barren Jack Dam |
| Type of Item: |
Built |
| Collection: |
Utilities - Water |
| Category: |
Water Supply Reservoir/ Dam |
| Location: |
Burrinjuck,
NSW 2582 |
| Local Govt: |
Yass Valley |
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| Designer: |
L.A.B. Wade (PWD) |
| Builder: |
Lane & Peters, Sydney |
| Constructed: |
1907 - 1927 |
| Current Use: |
Hydro-electric Dam |
| Former Use: |
Hydro-electric Dam |
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