William Hovell Dam
| William Hovell Dam | |
|---|---|
 Looking north towards dam wall, across the lake | |
  William Hovell Dam Location of the dam in Victoria | |
Interactive map of William Hovell Dam | |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Hume, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 36°55′14″S 146°23′25″E / 36.92056°S 146.39028°E |
| Purpose | |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1971 |
| Owner | Goulburn-Murray Water |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Impounds | King River |
| Height | 35 m (115 ft) |
| Length | 414 m (1,358 ft) |
| Dam volume | 355×103 m3 (12.5×106 cu ft) |
| Spillway type | Flip bucket chute spillway |
| Spillway capacity | 2,195 m3/s (77,500 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake William Hovell |
| Total capacity | 13,500 ML (10,900 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 331 km2 (128 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 113 ha (280 acres) |
| Normal elevation | 406 m (1,332 ft) AHD |
| William Hovell Power Station | |
| Operator | Pacific Hydro |
| Commission date | 1973 |
| Type | Conventional |
| Installed capacity | 1.6 MW (2,100 hp) |
| Annual generation | 3.7 GWh (13 TJ) |
| Website g-mwater.com.au | |
| [1] | |
The William Hovell Dam is an embankment dam across the King River, located in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia.[2] Completed in 1973, the resultant reservoir, Lake William Hovell, was established for the purposes of irrigation and the generation of hydroelectricity.
Named in honour of William Hovell, an explorer, the dam and reservoir are managed by Goulburn-Murray Water, and the power station is operated by Pacific Blue.
Dam and reservoir overview
Dam
The dam is located south of Whitfield on the edge of the Alpine National Park, fed by the King River and Evans Creek. It supplies water for approximately 24 square kilometres (9.3 sq mi) for irrigated crops, vineyards and grazing properties along the King River from Cheshunt to Wangaratta.
Completed in 1971 the rock and earth-fill dam structure is 35 metres (115 ft) high and 414 metres (1,358 ft) long. When full, the reservoir has capacity of 13,500 megalitres (10,900 acre⋅ft), covers a surface area of 113 hectares (280 acres), and is drawn from a catchment area of 331 square kilometres (128 sq mi). The unusual flip bucket chute spillway has a discharge capacity of 2,195 cubic metres per second (77,500 cu ft/s).[1][3]
Reservoir
Lake William Howell is stocked with wild brown trout, rainbow trout, redfin and Macquarie Perch. Fly fishing is permitted on the lake's shores and boats are permitted on the lake. Downstream of the dam wall, paddling and rafting is a common recreational pursuit. Limited picnic facilities are available.[4]
Hydroelectric power station
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Outflow from the dam drives a 1.6 megawatts (2,100 hp) conventional hydroelectric generator, with an average annual output of 3.7 gigawatt-hours (13 TJ),[1] operated by Pacific Blue.[5]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 "Register of Large Dams Australia-2015" (Excel. Requires download. Row 543). ANCOLD. January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ↑ Cox, F.; Victoria. State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (1972), The geology of Lake William Hovell Dam: first stage, State Rivers and Water Supply Commission, ISBN 978-0-7241-0492-5
- ↑ "Lake William Hovell". Goulburn-Murray Water. n.d. Archived from the original on 26 September 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ↑ "Lake Hovell Recreation Area". Visit Victoria. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- ↑ "Victorian hydro plants". Projects: Operations. Pacific Blue. 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
External links
- "Water in storages - Ovens catchment". Water storage in the basin. Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
- "Lake William Hovell: Recreation Guide" (PDF). Goulburn–Murray Water. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
Waterways of the North–East catchment, Victoria, Australia | |
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| Rivers | |
| Creeks |
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| Reservoirs |
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