Darwin River Dam
| Darwin River Dam | |
|---|---|
Location of the Darwin River Dam in the Northern Territory. | |
| Location | Darwin River, Northern Territory, Australia |
| Coordinates | 12°49′47″S 130°58′19″E / 12.829856°S 130.971921°E |
| Purpose | Water supply |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1972 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Darwin River |
| Dam volume | 265,500 ML (58.4×109 imp gal; 70.1×109 US gal) |
The Darwin River Dam is in Australia's Northern Territory on the Darwin River. The water catchment it contains is the major source for the city of Darwin.
The dam can hold up to 259,000 megalitres of water (265,500 ML (58.4×109 imp gal; 70.1×109 US gal)) which is half the volume in Sydney Harbour or eleven times bigger than the Manton Dam.
The Darwin River Dam is an embankment-type dam. The dam relies on the annual wet season to be replenished. It is ungated with no spillway regulation possible, and toward the end of the wet season, the dam can overflow. Most years spilling occurs, and is considered normal. Depending on rainfall amounts, this overflow can last from days to weeks.
The water in this dam is considered to be one of the most pristine on Earth. In order to preserve this quality, the catchment and reservoir policy prohibits recreational use with substantial penalties imposed for trespassing. The reservoir is free of Cabomba, an aquatic weed genus that can affect water quality.
The dam was formally opened by then Prime Minister William McMahon on 29 June 1972. The cost of construction was $9 million.