Guthega Dam is concrete gravity dam with an uncontrolled spillway across the Snowy River in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. The dam's main purpose is for the storage of water used in the generation of hydro-power . It is the first to be completed of the sixteen major dams of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, a vast hydroelectricity and irrigation complex constructed in south-east Australia between 1949 and 1974 and now run by Snowy Hydro.
The impounded reservoir is called Guthega Pondage.
Location and features
Guthega dam is one of the sixteen major dams of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. It was completed in 1955 and is located northwest of Perisher Valley, in the Kosciuszko National Park. The dam was constructed by Semler Engineering based on engineering plans developed under contract by the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Authority, with Albert Francis Ronalds as Chief Civil Designing Engineer.
The dam wall, comprising of concrete, is high and long. The uncontrolled spillway is capable of discharging reservoir overflow at rates up to . At 100% capacity the dam wall holds back of water with a surface area of The catchment area is , including the Guthega river, Pounds creek, Farm creek and the upper reaches of the Snowy River.
Power generation
Approximately downstream of the dam wall and using water from Guthega Pondage, is the above ground Guthega conventional hydroelectric power station. Commenced in 1951 and completed in 1955, the power station has two Francis turbines comprising English Electric generators, with a combined generating capacity of of electricity; a net generation of per annum; and has rated hydraulic head. Water flows through the turbines at the rate of .