The Tarago Dam is a rock-filled embankment dam across the Tarago River, located near Neerim South, approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) east of Melbourne, in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. Completed in 1969, the eponymous reservoir, Tarago Reservoir, was completed to supply potable water. Disconnected from the supply network in 1994 due to water quality issues, the reservoir was subsequently upgraded and reconnected in 2009, following the establishment of a water treatment facility.
| Tarago Dam | |
|---|---|
  Tarago Dam Location of the dam in Victoria | |
 Interactive map of Tarago Dam | |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Gippsland, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 38°01′14″S 145°56′12″E / 38.020559°S 145.936782°E |
| Purpose | Water supply |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date |
|
| Operator | Melbourne Water |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Rock-fill dam |
| Impounds | Tarago River |
| Height | 34 m (112 ft) |
| Length | 300 m (980 ft) |
| Dam volume | 326×103 m3 (11.5×106 cu ft) |
| Spillway type | Uncontrolled |
| Spillway capacity | 545 m3/s (19,200 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Tarago Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 37,580 ML (30,470 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 114 km2 (44 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 360 ha (890 acres) |
| Normal elevation | 153 m (502 ft) AHD |
The dam and reservoir are operated by Melbourne Water.
Dam and reservoir overview
editThe rock-filled dam wall is 34 metres (112 ft) high and 300 metres (980 ft) long. When full, the resultant reservoir has a storage capacity of 37,570 megalitres (30,460 acre⋅ft) and covers 873 hectares (2,160 acres), drawn from a catchment area of 113 square kilometres (44 sq mi). The uncontrolled spillway has a discharge capacity of 545 cubic metres per second (19,200 cu ft/s) and the dam wall was raised in 1974.[1][2]
Reservoir
editThe reservoir was built in 1969 to supply water to towns near Neerim South, the Mornington Peninsula and Westernport regions. In 1994, Melbourne Water stopped using water from the reservoir as it had become unsuitable for drinking. Although it continued to be used for local water supplies, the reservoir was reconnected to the metropolitan water supply system in June 2009 following the construction of a water treatment plant.[3][4]
See also
edit
References
edit- ↑ "Register of Large Dams Australia-2015" (Excel. Requires download. Row 487). ANCOLD. January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ↑ "Tarago Reservoir". Melbourne Water. Archived from the original on 1 November 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ↑ "Industry case studies: Tarago Reconnection Project" (PDF). Viadux. n.d. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- ↑ "Tarago Reservoir reconnected". Melbourne Water. Archived from the original on 5 April 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
External links
edit- Hairsine, Peter (June 1998). "Project W1: Controlling sediment and nutrient delivery from hillslopes to streams" (PDF). CRC for Catchment Hydrology. CSIRO Australia: Land & Water. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
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