Pine Tier Dam

Pine Tier Dam
Pine Tier Dam Location of the dam in Tasmania
Interactive map of Pine Tier Dam
Country	Australia
Location	Queenstown, Central Highlands, Tasmania
Coordinates	42°06′00″S 146°29′13″E
Purpose	Power
Status	Operational
Opening date	2 June 1953
Built by	Macmahon Constructions
Owner	Hydro Tasmania
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Gravity dam
Impounds	Nive River Pine River
Height (foundation)	44 m (144 ft)
Length	195 m (640 ft)
Dam volume	77×10^3 m3 (2.7×10^6 cu ft)
Spillway length	Uncontrolled
Spillway capacity	2,432 m3/s (85,900 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Pine Tier Lagoon
Total capacity	7,420 ML (6,020 acre⋅ft)
Catchment area	736 km2 (284 sq mi)
Surface area	83 ha (210 acres)
Normal elevation	658 m (2,159 ft) AHD
Tungatinah Power Station
Coordinates	42°17′49″S 146°27′24″E
Operator	Hydro Tasmania
Commission date	1953 – 1956
Type	Conventional
Turbines	5 x 25 MW (34×10^3 hp) (Boving Francis-type)
Installed capacity	125 MW (168×10^3 hp)
Capacity factor	0.8
Annual generation	579 GWh (2,080 TJ)

The Pine Tier Dam is a gravity dam across the confluence of the Nive and Pine rivers, located near Queenstown, in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania, Australia. Completed in 1953, the resultant reservoir, the Pine Tier Lagoon, was established for the purpose of generating hydroelectricity.

The Pine Tier Dam and its reservoir are one of several dams and reservoirs that supply water to the Tungatinah Power Station, a conventional hydroelectric power station. The dam, reservoir and power station are owned and operated by Hydro Tasmania.

Dam and reservoir overview

From the Nive River, most of the water entering the Pine Tier Lagoon is diverted via the Bronte canal to the Bronte Lagoon. Only overflows from the Pine River Dam enter the river, below the dam wall.

Officially opened on 2 June 1953, the concrete dam wall is 44 metres (144 ft) high and 195 metres (640 ft) long. When full, the reservoir has capacity of 7,420 megalitres (6,020 acre⋅ft) and covers 83 hectares (210 acres), drawn from a catchment area of 736 square kilometres (284 sq mi). The uncontrolled spillway has a flow capacity of 2,432 cubic metres per second (85,900 cu ft/s).

Reservoir

The Pine Tier Lagoon is a popular site for inland fishing, with both brown trout and rainbow trout found in the lake.

North and west of the Pine Tier Lagoon is the Pine Tier Conservation Area, a 1,914-hectare (4,730-acre) protected conservation area, part of the Tasmanian Land Conservancy's Five Rivers Reserve, that links the area with the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Tasmanian Wilderness Area.

Hydroelectric power station

Main article: Tungatinah Power Station

The Pine Tier Dam forms part of the complex of several dams, including the Bronte Lagoon formed by Bronte Dam, Bradys Lake formed by Bradys Dam, Lake Binney and the Tungatinah Lagoon; and a tunnel, canals, pipelines, flumes their associated control gates and a pump station. Together, these reservoirs support the generation of electricity at the Tungatinah Power Station, a conventional hydroelectric power station, situated adjacent to Lake Binney Dam.

See also

• List of reservoirs and dams in Tasmania

External links

• "Lake Levels: Pine Tier Lagoon at Dam: Full Storage Levels (daily report)" (PDF). Hydro Tasmania. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
• GALLERY: The exhibition 100 Years of Hydro tells the story of the company's 100 years of operation (scroll to find 1951 black-and-white image of dam under constriction.). ABC News. Australia. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
• "Hydro Activity at Bronte Park". The Mercury. Hobart. 9 July 1952. p. 12. Retrieved 14 April 2026 – via Trove. National Library of Australia.
• Episode 6: Pine Tier Lagoon. Trout Tales - Fly Fishing Tours in Tasmania. 24 March 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2026 – via YouTube.