Keepit Dam
Encyclopedia
Keepit Dam is a water storage dam on the Namoi River
in New South Wales
, Australia
. Keepit Dam retains water from the Namoi River
13 kilometres upstream of its junction with the Peel River for flood control and irrigation
. It is also used for local recreation, fishing and water skiing. It is the location of one of the premier soaring (gliding) sites in Australia - the Lake Keepit Soaring Club. It is located between the towns of Gunnedah
and Manilla
about 400 km north of Sydney
.
The dam was constructed in 1961 and Lake Keepit has a storage capacity of 425 000 megalitres and provides town water to the town of Walgett
via the Namoi and Barwon Rivers, it also provides irrigation water for the Namoi Valley. The Keepit Hydroelectric Power Station generates electricity when water is released.
Namoi River
The Namoi River is a major tributary of the Darling River in inland New South Wales, Australia.- Course :The headwaters of the Namoi, including the Macdonald River, the Peel River, the Cockburn River and the Manilla River, rise on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range on the Northern...
in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Keepit Dam retains water from the Namoi River
Namoi River
The Namoi River is a major tributary of the Darling River in inland New South Wales, Australia.- Course :The headwaters of the Namoi, including the Macdonald River, the Peel River, the Cockburn River and the Manilla River, rise on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range on the Northern...
13 kilometres upstream of its junction with the Peel River for flood control and irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
. It is also used for local recreation, fishing and water skiing. It is the location of one of the premier soaring (gliding) sites in Australia - the Lake Keepit Soaring Club. It is located between the towns of Gunnedah
Gunnedah, New South Wales
Gunnedah is a town and Local government area in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. 7,542 people lived in the town of Gunnedah in 2006, including 931 indigenous people ....
and Manilla
Manilla, New South Wales
Manilla is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, located on Fossickers Way 45 kilometres northwest of the regional city of Tamworth. At the 2006 census, Manilla had a population of 2,081 people. Manilla is famous for its setting as a fishing and paragliding area...
about 400 km north of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
The dam was constructed in 1961 and Lake Keepit has a storage capacity of 425 000 megalitres and provides town water to the town of Walgett
Walgett, New South Wales
Walgett is a town in North-West New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Walgett Shire. It is at the junction of the Barwon and Namoi rivers and near the junction of the Kamilaroi and Castlereagh Highways...
via the Namoi and Barwon Rivers, it also provides irrigation water for the Namoi Valley. The Keepit Hydroelectric Power Station generates electricity when water is released.