Corin Dam

The Corin Dam is an earth and rockfill embankment dam with an uncontrolled side channel spillway across the Cotter River, located within Namadgi National Park in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The impounded reservoir is called the Corin Reservoir which is a supply source of potable water for the city of Canberra and its environs. It is named after William Corin (1867-1929),[1] a pioneer in hydroelectric development in Australia.

Corin Dam
Corin Reservoir, 2009
Location of the Corin Dam in the ACT
Country	Australia
Location	Australian Capital Territory
Coordinates	35.56541°S 148.83108°E
Purpose	Potable water supply
Status	Operational
Opening date	1968
Owner(s)	ACTEW Corporation
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment dam
Impounds	Cotter River
Height	74 m (243 ft)
Length	282 m (925 ft)
Dam volume	1,394×10^3 m^3 (49×10^6 cu ft)
Spillways	1
Spillway type	Uncontrolled side channel
Spillway capacity	1,190 m^3/s (42,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Corin Reservoir
Total capacity	75,500 ML (1.66×10^10 imp gal; 1.99×10^10 US gal)
Active capacity	70,800 ML (1.56×10^10 imp gal; 1.87×10^10 US gal)
Catchment area	197 km^2 (76 sq mi)
Surface area	315 ha (780 acres)
Normal elevation	956 m (3,136 ft)
Website Corin Dam at ACTEW Water

Location and features

Constructed by Thiess Bros Pty Limited working from designs prepared by the Commonwealth Department of Works, the Corin Dam was completed and opened in 1968. The earthen dam wall built on a rock foundation is 74 metres (243 ft) high and 282 metres (925 ft) long with a volume of 1,394 thousand cubic metres (49.2×10⁶ cu ft). The wall impounds 75,500 megalitres (1.66×10¹⁰ imp gal; 1.99×10¹⁰ US gal) of water held within the Corin Reservoir, forming a surface area of approximately 3.15 square kilometres (1.22 sq mi) drawn from a catchment area of 197 square kilometres (76 sq mi).[2] The uncontrolled side channel spillway is capable of discharging 1,190 cubic metres per second (42,000 cu ft/s) from the reservoir,[2] with a high water level approximately 955.54 metres (3,135 ft) above sea level.[3]

Water from the Corin, together with the Bendora (downstream), and the Cotter dams (further downstream) are pumped to the suburbs of Canberra via the Bendora Gravity Main.

See also

• List of dams and reservoirs in the Australian Capital Territory
• Corin Forest

References

1. Entry for Willima Corin in Pike, Douglas (1996). Australian dictionary of biography volumes 1-12, 1788-1939. Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press. pp. (Vol 8) 115–6. ISBN 0522846548.
2. "Register of Large Dams in Australia" (Excel (requires download)). Dams information. Australian National Committee on Large Dams. 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
3. "Corin Dam". ACTEW Water. ACTEW Corporation. 2011. Archived from the original on 14 April 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2014.

External links

Media related to Corin Dam at Wikimedia Commons