Cardinia Reservoir
| Cardinia Dam | |
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The control tower and dam walls near the embankment
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 Location of the Cardinia Reservoir in Victoria
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| Country | Australia |
| Location | Greater Melbourne, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 37°58′17″S 145°25′8″E / 37.97139°S 145.41889°ECoordinates: 37°58′17″S 145°25′8″E / 37.97139°S 145.41889°E |
| Purpose | Water supply |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | May 1970 |
| Opening date | 1973 |
| Construction cost | A$11.4 million |
| Owner(s) | Melbourne Water |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Impounds | Cardinia Creek |
| Height (foundation) | 86 m (282 ft) |
| Length | 1,542 m (5,059 ft) |
| Dam volume | 5,150×103 m3 (182×106 cu ft) |
| Spillways | 1 |
| Spillway type | Uncontrolled |
| Spillway capacity | 12 m3/s (420 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Cardinia Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 286,910 ML (6.311×1010 imp gal; 7.579×1010 US gal) |
| Catchment area | 2,800 ha (6,900 acres) |
| Surface area | 1,295 ha (3,200 acres) |
| Normal elevation | 494 m (1,621 ft) AHD |
| Power station | |
| Name | Cardinia Dam Power Station |
| Coordinates | 37°57′6″S 145°23′54″E / 37.95167°S 145.39833°E |
| Operator(s) | Pacific Energy |
| Annual generation | 3.5 MW (4,700 hp) |
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Website Cardinia Reservoir at Melbourne Water |
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Cardinia Reservoir is an Australian man-made water supply dammed reservoir. The 287,000-megalitre (6.3×1010 imp gal; 7.6×1010 US gal) water store is located in Emerald-Clematis-Dewhurst in south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria. Construction started in May 1970 and was completed in 1973 at a cost of more than A$11.4 million. The dam that creates the impoundment is called the Cardinia Dam.
As Melbourne's water supplies struggled through the 1960s the need for additional water storage became evident. Cardinia Creek ran from the Dandenong Ranges to Western Port Bay, passing through some small but well defined hills south of the outer suburb of Emerald. This site was chosen as being suitable for a new reservoir. In 1966, plans for the construction of the Cardinia and Thomson Reservoirs were accepted by the Government of Victoria. Construction of the Tarago Reservoir commenced in 1966 and was completed in 1969. This water storage was built by the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission of Victoria (SR&WSC) to improve the capacity of the water supply system to meet the ever increasing demand for water in the district. By 1967, Melbourne struggled through a severe drought and water restrictions were imposed in the summer of 1967–68. As a result, plans for construction of Cardinia and Thomson Reservoirs were advanced.
With the construction of one large rolled earthfill and rockfill embankment to serve as the Cardinia Dam wall, and some other saddle dams in nearby hills, the large water storage facility of the Cardinia Reservoir was created. The dam was built by Fluor Construction, and engineered by Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation, under contract to the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW). The dam wall height is 86 metres (282 ft) and the main embankment is 1,542 metres (5,059 ft) long. The two saddle dams are 10 metres (33 ft) high and 323 metres (1,060 ft) long; and 16 metres (52 ft) high and 1,219 metres (3,999 ft) long respectively. At 100% capacity the dam wall was designed to hold back 286,910 megalitres (6.311×1010 imp gal; 7.579×1010 US gal) of water. The surface area of Cardinia Reservoir is 1,295 hectares (3,200 acres) and the catchment area is 2,800 hectares (6,900 acres). The ungated uncontrolled spillway is capable of discharging 12 cubic metres per second (420 cu ft/s).
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