Country Australia Status Operational Opened 1927 Construction began October 1920 | Opening date 1927 Height 41 m | |
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Type of dam Cyclopean Concrete Gravity Dam Similar Maroondah Reservoir Park, Silvan Reservoir, Yan Yean Reservoir, Cardinia Reservoir, Sugarloaf Reservoir | ||
Maroondah dam healesville victoria australia
The Maroondah Dam is a rock foundation concrete gravity dam with an uncontrolled rock chute spillway across the Watts River, located in the Central region of the Australian state of Victoria. The storage created by the dam is called Maroondah Reservoir. The principal purpose of the dam and its reservoir is to supply potable water for Greater Metropolitan Melbourne.
Contents
- Maroondah dam healesville victoria australia
- Map of Maroondah Dam Healesville VIC 3777 Australia
- Location and featuresEdit
- HistoryEdit
- References
Map of Maroondah Dam, Healesville VIC 3777, Australia
Location and featuresEdit
Constructed in the 1920s by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, it is now operated by Melbourne Water. Like most of Melbourne's water harvesting reservoirs, the entire catchment is eucalypt forest completely closed to human activity, as is the reservoir itself. Immediately below the concrete dam, the Maroondah Reservoir Park features a large garden landscaped in an "English style", featuring many exotic plants very different from the surrounding native vegetation. A walking track leads across the dam, over the spillway, and up to a lookout from which much of the reservoir can be viewed.
HistoryEdit
Following the Yan Yean and Toorourrong schemes, the Maroondah Dam scheme was the third water supply source for Melbourne. The Maroondah Aqueduct was built in 1886–1881 to supply water to the Preston Reservoir from a diversion weir on the Watts River. The level for the aqueduct was determined by the site of the proposed Maroondah Reservoir. Preparatory work for the dam was undertaken during the period 1915–1919. Construction commenced in October 1920 and was completed in 1927. During this period the capacity of the Maroondah Aqueduct was increased.
In 1986 the reservoir spillway was widened and in 1989 the stability of the concrete dam was enhanced using ground anchors.