Splityard Creek Dam
Location of the Splityard Creek Dam in Queensland
Country	Australia
Location	South East Queensland
Coordinates	27°22′16″S 152°38′13″E / 27.37111°S 152.63694°E / -27.37111; 152.63694
Purpose	Hydroelectricity[1]
Status	Operational
Construction began	1977 (1977)
Opening date	1980 (1980)
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment dam
Impounds	Pryde Creek
Height	76 m (249 ft)[1]
Length	1,140 m (3,740 ft)[1]
Dam volume	69×10^3 m3 (2.4×10^6 cu ft)[1]
Spillway type	Uncontrolled
Spillway capacity	570 m3/s (20,000 cu ft/s)[1]
Reservoir
Total capacity	28,700 ML (6,300×10^6 imp gal; 7,600×10^6 US gal)[1]
Catchment area	3.8 km2 (1.5 sq mi)[1]
Surface area	105 ha (260 acres)[1]
Maximum width	294 m (965 ft)
Wivenhoe Power Station
Operator(s)	CS Energy
Commission date	1984 (1984)
Type	Pumped-storage
Turbines	2
Installed capacity	500 megawatts (670,000 hp)
Website Wivenhoe Power Station

The Splityard Creek Dam is a rock and earth-fill embankment dam with an un-gated spillway across the Pryde Creek that is located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. The sole purpose of the dam is for the generation of hydroelectricity.^[1] The impounded reservoir is called the Splityard Creek Reservoir.

Location and features

The dam is located 30 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of Ipswich in the Somerset Region and forms the upper reservoir for the Wivenhoe Power Station.

Construction commenced in 1977 and was completed in 1980 by contractors Thiess Brothers and John Holland.^[2] The rock and earthfill dam structure is 76 metres (249 ft) high and 1,140 metres (3,740 ft) long. The 3,371-thousand-cubic-metre (119.0×10^⁶ cu ft) dam wall holds back the 28,600-megalitre (6,300×10^⁶ imp gal; 7,600×10^⁶ US gal) reservoir when at full capacity. From a catchment area of 3.8 square kilometres (1.5 sq mi), the dam creates a reservoir with a surface area of 102 hectares (250 acres). The uncontrolled un-gated spillway has a discharge capacity of 570 cubic metres per second (20,000 cu ft/s).^[1] The asset was transferred to CleanCo Queensland in October 2019.

Power station

Owned by CleanCo Queensland and operated by CS Energy, Wivenhoe Power Station is located on the eastern side of Wivenhoe Dam, north west of Brisbane. The station, which began commercial operation in 1984, was Queensland's first pumped-storage hydro-electric plant. It is operated remotely from an operating centre used to manage the Queensland electricity grid.^[3]

The dam's water capacity is enough for the power station to run at full load for approximately ten hours. Using both pumps, this water can be replaced in about 14 hours. The pumped storage power station consists of two circular concrete silos, each of about 32 metres (105 ft) internal diameter. Each of the silos houses a 250 megawatts (340,000 hp) turbine generator and pump set, giving a total capacity of 500 megawatts (670,000 hp).^[3]

Recreation

Public access including swimming is banned from the dam due to strong currents and submerged hazards.