Thomson River Dam
Encyclopedia
The Thomson Dam is located on the Thomson River
about 130 km east of Melbourne
in Gippsland
near the former township of Beardmore and the Baw Baw National Park
.
Despite opposition from conservationists and farmers, plans for the dam were originally approved in late December 1975 to provide Melbourne with water security
. A dam on the Thomson river was preferred because the river had a large flow, high water quality and was elevated high enough to provide water to the upper Yarra system by gravity flow.
Early work in the early 1970s saw construction of a 19 km long tunnel through the Thomson Yarra divide to allow water from the Thomson River
to flow into the Upper Yarra Reservoir
. Work on the dam itself commenced in 1976 and the dam wall was ready to contain water by 1983.
The tunnel, which is located at the northern end of the reservoir, allows water to be transferred west to Upper Yarra Reservoir and then on to Silvan Reservoir for distribution as drinking water in Melbourne.
Since 1997, drought has resulted in depletion of much of the reservoir's water. 2006 in particular was a devastating year for Melbourne's water supply, where little rain and inflows resulted in a continuous drop in water levels. In early January 2006, the Thomson Dam was at 45.4%. While there were minor rises in water levels here and there, the Thomson Dam reached its all-time low of 16.2% on the 3 July 2009.
Heavy rainfall in 2010 has increased Melbourne's water storages to levels not seen for four years. The Thomson Dam entered Winter 2011 at 39% full.
The last time the reservoir was full and spilling was in the spring of 1996.
The Thomson River Dam is managed by Melbourne Water
.
Thomson River (Victoria)
The Thomson River is a river in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. It starts below Newlands at the north western end of the Baw Baw Plateau at an elevation of 972 m, where it shares a watershed with the Yarra River and Tanjil River, and ends at an elevation of 1.55 m merging with the Latrobe River...
about 130 km east of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in Gippsland
Gippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
near the former township of Beardmore and the Baw Baw National Park
Baw Baw National Park
Baw Baw is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 111 km east of Melbourne. It contains the Baw-Baw Plateau and Mount Baw Baw, a small ski resort, including nearby town, technically outside the national park....
.
Despite opposition from conservationists and farmers, plans for the dam were originally approved in late December 1975 to provide Melbourne with water security
Water security
Water security is the capacity of a population to ensure that they continue to have access to potable water. It is an increasing concern arising from population growth, drought, climate change, oscillation between El Nino and La Nina effects, urbanisation, salinity, upstream pollution,...
. A dam on the Thomson river was preferred because the river had a large flow, high water quality and was elevated high enough to provide water to the upper Yarra system by gravity flow.
Early work in the early 1970s saw construction of a 19 km long tunnel through the Thomson Yarra divide to allow water from the Thomson River
Thomson River (Victoria)
The Thomson River is a river in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. It starts below Newlands at the north western end of the Baw Baw Plateau at an elevation of 972 m, where it shares a watershed with the Yarra River and Tanjil River, and ends at an elevation of 1.55 m merging with the Latrobe River...
to flow into the Upper Yarra Reservoir
Upper Yarra Dam
The Upper Yarra Reservoir is located east of Melbourne, beyond Warburton within the locality of Reefton. Water from Upper Yarra Reservoir supplies towns in the upper Yarra Valley, and Silvan Reservoir, which transfers water to most parts of Melbourne....
. Work on the dam itself commenced in 1976 and the dam wall was ready to contain water by 1983.
The tunnel, which is located at the northern end of the reservoir, allows water to be transferred west to Upper Yarra Reservoir and then on to Silvan Reservoir for distribution as drinking water in Melbourne.
Since 1997, drought has resulted in depletion of much of the reservoir's water. 2006 in particular was a devastating year for Melbourne's water supply, where little rain and inflows resulted in a continuous drop in water levels. In early January 2006, the Thomson Dam was at 45.4%. While there were minor rises in water levels here and there, the Thomson Dam reached its all-time low of 16.2% on the 3 July 2009.
Heavy rainfall in 2010 has increased Melbourne's water storages to levels not seen for four years. The Thomson Dam entered Winter 2011 at 39% full.
The last time the reservoir was full and spilling was in the spring of 1996.
The Thomson River Dam is managed by Melbourne Water
Melbourne Water
Melbourne Water is a government owned statutory authority that controls much of the water system in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia including the reservoirs, and thesewerage and drainage system that services the city.- Overview :...
.
External links
- Thomson Reservoir
- Fact Sheet
- Lowdown on the Thomson Reservoir - The AgeThe AgeThe Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
, 5 June 2003 - Crunch time today for Thomson Dam - The AgeThe AgeThe Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
, 13 December 2006 - 'Drought-proof' dam hits record low level