Murray Two Dam

36°14′S 148°11′E / 36.233°S 148.183°E / -36.233; 148.183StatusOperationalOpening date1968Owner(s)Snowy HydroDam and spillwaysType of damArch damImpoundsKhancoban BackHeight43 metres (141 ft)Length131 metres (430 ft)Dam volume19,500 cubic metres (690,000 cu ft)Spillways1Spillway typeControlledSpillway capacity566 cubic metres per second (20,000 cu ft/s)ReservoirCreatesMurray Two PondageTotal capacity2,344 megalitres (82.8×10^⁶ cu ft)Catchment area53 square kilometres (20 sq mi)Surface area190 hectares (470 acres)

Murray Two Dam is a major ungated concrete arch dam with a controlled spillway across Khancoban Bank, a diverted flow of the Snowy and Geehi rivers in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales, Australia. The impounded reservoir is called the Murray Two Pondage.

History

The structure was completed by Thiess in 1968,^[1] and is one of the sixteen major dams that comprise the Snowy Mountains Scheme, a vast hydroelectricity and irrigation complex constructed in south-east Australia between 1949 and 1974 that is now run by Snowy Hydro.

Location and features

Murray Two Dam is a major dam, located within the Snowy Valleys local government area, approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) southeast of the town of Khancoban. The dam was constructed by a consortium including Thiess and Dillingham Corporation based on engineering plans developed under contract from the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Authority.^[2]

The arch dam wall comprises 19,500 cubic metres (690,000 cu ft) of concrete and is 43 metres (141 ft) high and 131 metres (430 ft) long. At 100% capacity the dam wall holds back 2,344 megalitres (82.8×10^⁶ cu ft) of water. The surface area of Murray Two Pondage is 190 hectares (470 acres) and the catchment area is 53 square kilometres (20 sq mi). The controlled spillway is capable of discharging 566 cubic metres per second (20,000 cu ft/s).^[2][3]

Power generation

Located immediately upstream of the Murray Two Pondage is the Murray 1 Power Station, a 950 megawatts (1,270,000 hp) conventional hydroelectric power station. Murray 1 draws the supply of its water under pressure from an 11.8 kilometres (7.3 mi) Haupt-tunnel, with a diameter of 6.93 metres (22.7 ft), that is fully lined along its length; completed in 1966.^[4] Meanwhile, located immediately downstream is the Murray 2 Power Station, a 550 megawatts (740,000 hp) conventional hydroelectric power station. Water from the power plant is discharged into the reservoir, before passing over the spillway of Khancoban Dam, and down the Swampy Plain River.

References

External links

• Bevitt, R.; Erskine, W.; Gillespie, G.; Harriss, J.; Lake, P.; Miners, B.; Varley, I. (May 2009). Expert panel environmental flow assessment of various rivers affected by the Snowy Mountains Scheme. NSW Department of Water and Energy. ISBN 978-0-7347-5656-5.