Peter Faust Dam spills for the first time

[Member]

Peter Faust Dam spills for the first time 24 Dec 2010 - Sunwater

A sight never seen before was on display at Peter Faust Dam today as the dam overflowed following a night of torrential rain.

SunWater Area Operations Manager Colin Bendall said that Peter Faust Dam commenced spilling early this morning for the first time since the dam was constructed in 1990.

“The dam is currently at 200mm above the spillway and passing 798ML/day,” Mr Bendall said.

“It’s extremely pleasing to see the dam at full capacity given that it was only a couple of years ago when the dam was at extremely low levels and water security was a serious concern for the community.

“The dam has ten times more water in the storage than it had in 2007, and a third more than what it had this time last year.

“2010 has not only brought much rain to the region, but much renewed confidence for our farmers as well,” Mr Bendall said.

The water level at the dam is currently at 200mm above the spillway crest and rising slowly with a 2.6% increase in storage level over the last 24 hour period.

“We expect more inflows in the near future before the inflows start to subside,” Mr Bendall said.

Mr Bendall said that the dam is designed to safely pass water over the spillway when the dam’s water storage is above full capacity and there are no concerns associated with the safety of the dam’s infrastructure.

“The only safety concern I have is that the public take extra care when visiting the dam and please obey the safety signs and stay away from the spillway and dam embankment.  We expect a significant increase in the number of visitors to the dam over the Christmas and New Year period especially with the dam spilling for the first time.

“We don’t want to discourage visitors from enjoying the spectacle but please take extra safety precautions as dams can be dangerous and unpredictable places. Please adhere to all signage and directions from authorities and also check the road conditions for any closure before making any visit to the dam,” he said.

SunWater will continue to monitor the dam and take all necessary action, including liaising with stakeholder and relevant authorities in line with the storage’s operating guidelines.


Source: Sunwater

[Member]

Wow 20 years since it was built until it goes over. Thats a long long time!
Good water management, drought or the dam to big?

[Member]

Think some

people fail to realise that dams are built usually for a purpose, water storage. Then they are used for consumption ie irrigation, town water supplies and river flows.

The idea that it takes 20years to fill, is a bit like saying, nothing is going out at any stage.

The use for fishing/stocking is one of the best things granted to all anglers and helps the tourism industry/local business adjacent to these impoundments. But please remember their intended purpose.
Regards
Trev

[Member]

Spent seven hours exploring the dam yesterday, headed up a couple of flooded valleys & was boating amongst the tree tops.
No fish fish were landed, but that is nothing new for me

Cheers Andrew