Scrivener Dam

Scrivener Dam
Scrivener Dam, near the National Zoo & Aquarium in Yarralumla, 2009.
Country	Australia
Location	Canberra, ACT
Coordinates	35°17′59″S 149°04′20″E / 35.29972°S 149.07222°E / -35.29972; 149.07222Coordinates: 35°17′59″S 149°04′20″E / 35.29972°S 149.07222°E / -35.29972; 149.07222
Purpose	Recreational and ornamental
Status	Operational
Construction began	September 1960 (1960-09)
Opening date	20 September 1964 (1964-09-20)
Construction cost	A$5,039,050
Owner(s)	National Capital Authority
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Gravity dam
Impounds	Molonglo River
Height	33 metres (108 ft)
Length	319 metres (1,047 ft)
Width (crest)	19.7 metres (65 ft)
Width (base)	30.5 metres (100 ft)
Dam volume	55,000 m3 (1,900,000 cu ft)
Spillways	5
Spillway type	Hydraulic; fish-belly flap gates
Spillway capacity	8,500 m3/s (300,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Lake Burley Griffin
Total capacity	33,000,000 m3 (1.2×109 cu ft)
Catchment area	183.5 square kilometres (70.8 sq mi)
Surface area	664 hectares (1,640 acres)
Maximum length	11 kilometres (6.8 mi)
Maximum width	1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi)
Maximum water depth	18 metres (59 ft)
Normal elevation	556 metres (1,824 ft)

Scrivener Dam, a concrete gravity dam that impounds Molongolo River, is located in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The dam creates Lake Burley Griffin, that was established for recreational and ornamental purposes. Named in honour of surveyor, Charles Scrivener, the dam was officially inaugurated on 20 September 1964 (1964-09-20) and the official filling of the lake commemorated on 17 October 1964 (1964-10-17), by the Prime Minister, Robert Menzies.

The dam wall is located on Lady Denman Drive and is adjacent to the National Zoo & Aquarium and a viewing area for the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia.

Scrivener Dam, designed in Germany, holds back the waters of the Molongolo River within Lake Burley Griffin. About 55,000 cubic metres (1,900,000 cu ft) of concrete was used in the construction of the dam wall. The dam is 33 metres (108 ft) high and 319 metres (1,047 ft) long with a maximum wall thickness of 19.7 metres (65 ft). The dam is designed to handle a once in 5,000 year flood event.

It utilised state-of-the-art post-tensioning techniques to cope with any problems or movements in the riverbed.

The dam has five bay spillway controlled by 30.5 metres (100 ft) wide,hydraulically operated fish-belly flap gates. Hinge anchors support the flap gates; with six hinges per gate, and four anchors per hinge. The fish-belly gates allow for a precise control of water level, reducing the dead area on the banks between high and low water levels. As at November 2010, the five gates have only been opened simultaneously once in the dam's history, during heavy flooding in 1976.