Lostock Dam

Lostock Dam
Lostock Dam
	Location of Lostock Dam in; New South Wales
Country	Australia
Location	Hunter, New South Wales
Coordinates	32°18′54″S 151°27′04″E / 32.31500°S 151.45111°E
Purpose	Flood mitigation, hydro-power, irrigation, water supply and conservation
Status	Operational
Construction began	1969
Opening date	1971
Owner(s)	State Water Corporation
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment dam
Impounds	Paterson River
Height	38 m (125 ft)
Length	701 m (2,300 ft)
Elevation at crest	92 m (302 ft)
Dam volume	623 m3 (22,000 cu ft)
Spillways	1
Spillway type	Concrete lined, flip bucket chute spillway
Spillway capacity	2,860 m3/s (101,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Lostock Dam
Total capacity	20,220 ML (714×106 cu ft)
Catchment area	277 km2 (107 sq mi)
Surface area	220 ha (540 acres)
Maximum water depth	30 m (98 ft)
Normal elevation	155 m (509 ft) AHD
Power Station
Operator(s)	Delta Electricity
Commission date	~2010
Type	Conventional
Turbines	2
Installed capacity	2 MW (2,700 hp); 1.92 MW (2,570 hp) (max. planned)
	Website; Lostock Dam

Lostock Dam is a minor rockfill and clay core embankment dam with a concrete lined, flip bucket spillway across the Paterson River upstream of the village of East Gresford in the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. The dam's purpose includes flood mitigation, irrigation, water supply and conservation. Mini hydro-power facilities were retrofitted in 2010. The impounded reservoir is also called Lostock Dam.

Location and features

Commenced in 1969 and completed in 1971, the Lostock Dam is a minor dam on the Paterson River, a tributary of the Hunter River, and is located approximately 65 kilometres (40 mi) from both Maitland and Singleton, and also 93 kilometres (58 mi) north-west of Newcastle, on the upper reaches of the river. The dam was built by Dumez Australia under contract to the New South Wales Water Department of Land and Water Conservation following the drought of 1964–66. At that time there was a need for a water conservation storage in the Paterson Valley to stabilise and further develop rural productivity.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The dam wall height is 38 metres (125 ft) and is 701 metres (2,300 ft) long. The maximum water depth is 30 metres (98 ft) and at 100% capacity the dam wall holds back 20,220 megalitres (714×10^⁶ cu ft) of water at 155 metres (509 ft) AHD. The surface area of the reservoir is 220 hectares (540 acres) and the catchment area is 277 square kilometres (107 sq mi). The ungated concrete lined, flip bucket chute spillway is capable of discharging 2,860 cubic metres per second (101,000 cu ft/s).^[1]^[2]^[3]

The name of the dam originates from the village of the same name, located approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) downstream from the dam wall.^[4]

Power generation

A mini hydro-electric power station generates up to 2.2 megawatts (3,000 hp) of electricity from the flow of the water leaving Lostock Dam.^[1] Constructed by Heidemann Hydro Australia,^[5]^[6] the facility is managed by Delta Electricity.^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Lostock Dam" (PDF). State Water Corporation. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF brochure) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
^ ^a ^b "Register of Large Dams in Australia" (Excel (requires download)). Dams information. The Australian National Committee on Large Dams Incorporated. 2010. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
^ ^a ^b "Lostock Dam". Water delivery: dams. State Water Corporation. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
^ "Lostock Dam". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
^ "Economic and environmental wins from turbines". News and events: Media releases 2010 (Press release). State Water Corporation. 3 August 2010. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
^ "Lostock Dam Hydro-Electric Plant". Heidemann Hydro GmH. 2013. Archived from the original on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
^ "Mini hydros". Generation: Renewable Energy. Delta Electricity. 2009. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013.