Nillahcootie Dam

Nillahcootie Dam
Location of the Nillahcootie Dam in Victoria
Country	Australia
Location	Victorian Alps, Victoria
Coordinates
Purpose	Water supply Irrigation
Status	Operational
Opening date	1967 (1967)
Operator(s)	Goulburn–Murray Water
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment dam
Impounds	Broken River
Height	34 m (112 ft)
Length	791 m (2,595 ft)
Spillway type	Gothic arch-shaped crest
Spillway capacity	73 m3/s (2,600 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Lake Nillahcootie
Total capacity	40,400 ML (8,900×10^6 imp gal; 10,700×10^6 US gal)
Catchment area	439 km2 (169 sq mi)
Surface area	530 ha (1,300 acres)
Website Lake Nillahcootie at Goulburn–Murray Water

The Nillahcootie Dam, a rock and earth-fill embankment dam with a unique Gothic arch-shaped crest spillway across the Broken River that is located near Mansfield, in the Alpine region of Victoria, Australia. The dam's purpose is for the supply of potable water and for irrigation. The impounded reservoir is called Lake Nillahcootie.

Location and features

Designed and constructed by the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission of Victoria, the dam was completed in 1967. The embankment dam wall is constructed with an earth core and rock fill, rising to a height of 34 metres (112 ft). The core component materials of the wall include 298 thousand cubic metres (10.5×10^⁶ cu ft) of rock and earth. The reservoir has a capacity of 40,400 megalitres (8,887×10^⁶ imp gal; 10,673×10^⁶ US gal), and can release a maximum outflow of approximately 117,000 megalitres (25,736×10^⁶ imp gal; 30,908×10^⁶ US gal) per day in normal operation.

The crest of the uncontrolled spillway is 264.5 metres (868 ft) AHD  and is approximately 791 metres (2,595 ft) long. When full, flood flows spill over a unique Gothic arch-shaped crest. The storage also features a secondary spillway that is operated only during severe floods. It uses the ‘fuse plug' principle, in which a section of earthen embankment within the secondary spillway (the fuse plug) has been designed so that at a predetermined flood level it will be eroded away and increase the discharge through the spillway.

Recreation

It is a popular water-skiing destination, especially during the summer.

The name is of Indian origin and is thought to mean "Blue House".

See also

• List of dams in Victoria