Googong Dam

Googong Dam
Googong Dam wall and reservoir, 2006
Googong Dam Location of the dam in New South Wales
Interactive map of Googong Dam
Country	Australia
Location	Queanbeyan, New South Wales
Coordinates	35°25′13″S 149°15′47″E
Purpose	Water supply
Status	Operational
Opening date	1977
Owner	Commonwealth of Australia
Operator	Icon Water
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment dam
Impounds	Queanbeyan River
Height	66 m (217 ft)
Length	417 m (1,368 ft)
Elevation at crest	663 m (2,175 ft) AHD
Dam volume	838×10^3 m3 (29.6×10^6 cu ft)
Spillways	2
Spillway type	Converging chute
Spillway capacity	4,300 m3/s (150,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Googong Reservoir
Total capacity	119,400 ML (96,800 acre⋅ft)
Catchment area	873 km2 (337 sq mi)
Surface area	696 ha (1,720 acres)
Normal elevation	659 m (2,162 ft) AHD

The Googong Dam is an earth and rock-fill embankment dam comprising an adjacent saddle embankment across the Queanbeyan River, located upstream of Queanbeyan in the Capital Country region of New South Wales, Australia. The dam's purpose includes water supply for Canberra and Queanbeyan. The impounded reservoir is called Googong Reservoir.

The Googong Dam was created through enabling legislation enacted via the passage of the Canberra Water Supply (Googong Dam) Act, 1974.

History

A green ban was briefly imposed by the Builders Labourers Federation for a few days until adequate assurances that marine life in Lake Burley Griffin would not be harmed.

Location and features

Completed in 1977, the Googong Dam is a minor dam across the Queanbeyan River and Bradleys Creek and is located approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of the city of Queanbeyan on the lower reaches of the river. The dam was built by Thiess Bros, based on designs developed by the Commonwealth Department of Construction; and is now managed by Icon Water.

The main earth and rock-filled dam wall is 66 metres (217 ft) high and is 417 metres (1,368 ft) long. The adjacent earth-filled saddle dam is 13 metres (43 ft) high. When full, the resultant reservoir holds 121,083 megalitres (98,164 acre⋅ft) of water, covers approximately 696 hectares (1,720 acres) that is drawn from a catchment area of 873 square kilometres (337 sq mi). The concrete chute spillway is capable of discharging 4,300 cubic metres per second (150,000 cu ft/s).

Successive flood events in 1978 and through the 1980s resulted in extensive erosion in the unlined section of the spillway chute, including a large erosion hole, up to 19 metres (62 ft) deep and 25 metres (82 ft) wide, in the upper part of the spillway chute. Staged remedial works were undertaken in the 1980s to protect the eroded structure. Remediation of spillway facilities occurred from 2006 through to 2010 that resulted in an increase in the capacity of the spillway, construction of walls in the spillway chute extension up to 17 metres (56 ft) high, and a range of other enhancements to meet extreme flood events. In 2016, with more regular spillway overflows and to improve safety for waterway users, Icon Water installed a 240-metre (790 ft) floating safety barrier across the spillway, with a gate for authorised vessel access.

See also

• List of dams and reservoirs in New South Wales
• List of dams and reservoirs in the Australian Capital Territory

External links

• "Murrumbidgee and Lake George catchments" (Map). Office of Environment & Heritage. Government of New South Wales.
• "Our Network: Water and Sewerage" (PDF) (Map). Icon Water. n.d. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
• Interactive ACT water supply map (Map). ACTEW Corporation. 2011. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
• "Googong Foreshores: Map and Guide" (brochure). ACT Parks, Conservation and Lands. ACT Territory & Municipal Services.