Serpentine Dam (Tasmania)

Serpentine Dam
Serpentine Dam (Tasmania) is located in Tasmania
Serpentine Dam (Tasmania)
Location of the Serpentine Dam in Tasmania
CountryAustralia
LocationSouth West Tasmania
Coordinates42°46′35″S 145°58′56″E / 42.77639°S 145.98222°E / -42.77639; 145.98222
PurposePower
StatusOperational
Opening date1971 (1971)
Owner(s)Hydro Tasmania
Dam and spillways
Type of damEmbankment dam
ImpoundsSerpentine River
Height38 metres (125 ft)
Length134 metres (440 ft)
Dam volume127×10^3 m3 (4.5×10^6 cu ft)
Spillways1
Spillway typeControlled
Spillway capacity242 m3/s (8,500 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
CreatesLake Pedder
Total capacity2,937,930 ML (103,752×10^6 cu ft)
Catchment area734 km2 (283 sq mi)
Surface area242 km2 (93 sq mi)
Maximum water depth43 m (141 ft)
Website
hydro.com.au/energy/our-power-stations/gordon-pedder
[1]

The Serpentine Dam is a rockfill embankment dam with a concrete face and a controlled spillway across the Serpentine River, located in the South West region of Tasmania, Australia.

The impounded reservoir, also formed with the Edgar Dam and the Scotts Peak Dam, is called Lake Pedder which flooded Lake Edgar, a naturally forming fault scarp pond. The dam was constructed in 1971 by the Hydro Electric Corporation (TAS) as part of the Gordon River Power Development Scheme for the purpose of generating hydro-electric power via the conventional Gordon Power Station. Water from Lake Pedder is diverted to Lake Gordon (formed by the Gordon Dam) via the McPartlan Pass Canal.[2][3][4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference ancold was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Gordon - Pedder". Energy: Our power stations. Hydro Tasmania. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  3. ^ "Scotts Peak Dam, Tasmania" (PDF). Submission for an Historic Engineering Marker. Engineers Australia. April 2000. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Gordon River - more power to Tasmania". www.wheretostay.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2009.