Waranga Basin
Encyclopedia
Waranga Basin is a reservoir
forming part of the Goulburn River
irrigation system in Victoria
, Australia
. It is located in Shire of Campaspe near the City of Greater Shepparton
and is located near the townships of Tatura
, Rushworth
and Murchison
. It covers an area of 58.5 square kilometres at full capacity.
The area now covered by the Waranga Basin includes a swamp that was known as Warranga (the aboriginal name) or Gunn's after one of the early pastoralists who established his squatting run, also called Waranga, in the area surrounding the swamp. Gold
was discovered near Waranga Swamp in 1853, making it one of Victoria's oldest goldfields.
Between 1915 and 1926, the embankment was raised in stages and a core wall was inserted. By 1921, the embankment was raised to 12.2 metres allowing the storage capacity to be increased to 411,000 megalitres, its current capacity. The major road between Tatura and Rushworth crosses the outlet.
as well as having a catchment area of its own. Waranga Basin supplies water to the Central Goulburn
Irrigation Area and Rochester
Irrigation Area. However, the Waranga Western Channel takes some of the water 180 kilometres to Pyramid Hill
and Boort
. Goulburn-Murray Water is responsible for regulating the flow of water from the basin.
Normally, only about three-quarters of the 411,000 Ml can be used in irrigation. However, in 2002-03, an additional 90,000 Ml was supplied through pumping. This was to assist farmers in the Goulburn Irrigation System experiencing severe drought.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
forming part of the Goulburn River
Goulburn River (Victoria)
The Goulburn River is a major inland river in Victoria, Australia.The headwaters of the Goulburn River rise in the western end of the Victoria Alps, near Mount Buller. The Eildon Dam creates Lake Eildon, a major storage of water for irrigation...
irrigation system in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, 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...
. It is located in Shire of Campaspe near the City of Greater Shepparton
City of Greater Shepparton
The City of Greater Shepparton is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the northern part of the state. It has an area of 2,420 square kilometres, and in 2001 it had a population of 56,000...
and is located near the townships of Tatura
Tatura, Victoria
Tatura is a town 17 km west-south-west of Shepparton in Victoria, Australia located 3 km off the Midland Highway, forming part of the City of Greater Shepparton. At the 2006 census, Tatura had a population of 3,533, however the true figure is believed to be close to 4,400. Attractions...
, Rushworth
Rushworth, Victoria
Rushworth is a township in Victoria, Australia. It is located north of Melbourne and, at the 2006 census, had a population of 2066.-History:...
and Murchison
Murchison, Victoria
Murchison is a small rural village located on the Goulburn River in Victoria, Australia. Murchison is located 167 kilometres from Melbourne and is just to the west of the Goulburn Valley Highway between Shepparton and Nagambie. The surrounding countryside contains orchards, vineyards and dairy...
. It covers an area of 58.5 square kilometres at full capacity.
The area now covered by the Waranga Basin includes a swamp that was known as Warranga (the aboriginal name) or Gunn's after one of the early pastoralists who established his squatting run, also called Waranga, in the area surrounding the swamp. Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
was discovered near Waranga Swamp in 1853, making it one of Victoria's oldest goldfields.
Construction
Construction of the earth dam began in 1905 and was completed in 1915 using picks, shovels and horse-drawn scoops. The site of the basin was a former swamp in the then Waranga Shire. It was commissioned by the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission to irrigate the Western Goulburn Valley. At the time of construction, the Waranga Basin embankment was described as the largest project of its sort in the world with an embankment height of 8.8 metres and length of 7 kilometres.Between 1915 and 1926, the embankment was raised in stages and a core wall was inserted. By 1921, the embankment was raised to 12.2 metres allowing the storage capacity to be increased to 411,000 megalitres, its current capacity. The major road between Tatura and Rushworth crosses the outlet.
Distribution of the water
Waranga Basin stores water flowing downstream from Lake EildonLake Eildon
Lake Eildon is the impoundment created by Eildon Weir on the Goulburn River in southern Victoria, Australia. At 3,334,158 megalitres when full, it contains six times as much water as Sydney Harbour and is the second largest water storage in Victoria after Dartmouth Dam...
as well as having a catchment area of its own. Waranga Basin supplies water to the Central Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
Irrigation Area and Rochester
Rochester, Victoria
Rochester is a small town in country Victoria, Australia. It is located 180 km north of Melbourne with a mixture of rural and semi-rural communities on the northern Campaspe River, between Bendigo and the Murray River port of Echuca...
Irrigation Area. However, the Waranga Western Channel takes some of the water 180 kilometres to Pyramid Hill
Pyramid Hill, Victoria
Pyramid Hill is a town in Victoria, Australia located in the Shire of Loddon. It is located north of Melbourne and north of Bendigo. At the 2006 census, Pyramid Hill had a population of 465. The town has its own railway station....
and Boort
Boort, Victoria
Boort is a town in Victoria, Australia, located next to Lake Boort, in the Shire of Loddon. At the 2006 census, Boort had a population of 773. The town is known for its native birdlife...
. Goulburn-Murray Water is responsible for regulating the flow of water from the basin.
Normally, only about three-quarters of the 411,000 Ml can be used in irrigation. However, in 2002-03, an additional 90,000 Ml was supplied through pumping. This was to assist farmers in the Goulburn Irrigation System experiencing severe drought.