Eurobodalla Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy

Eurobodalla Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy
FACT SHEET 10
Dams and Storages
What are Dams and Storages?
Off-river storage (often located on an intermittent stream) involves diverting water from a river
to a storage facility.
A dam involves building a structure across the river to regulate the flow of water.
The need for dams and off-river storage cannot be considered in isolation, but rather requires
consideration in the context of all water supply options due to the significant environmental,
social and financial impacts.
In terms of environmental and financial costs, off-river storage represents a more sustainable
option than damming rivers. Off-river storages allow water to be pumped out of the river and
stored during high flow periods. During low flow periods (drought) the water in the river can be
left untouched and the water in the storage used to supply consumption needs.
Off-river opportunities are discussed in section 8.3.4 and appendix K.
The advantage of keeping water in a dam or storage is that it allows water to undergo some
natural disinfection processes, which can form part of a multi-barrier approach to protect public
health. However, storing water in dams increases the risk of a blue green algae outbreak in the
water supply.
Examples
Deep Creek Dam is an off-river storage that stores water from the Deua and the Buckenboura
rivers during high flow periods. It supplies water to the Shire during times of low river flows.
Benefits
Increases the security of supply.
Can be designed to maintain environmental objectives with flexibility in mind.
Reduces the pressure on more sensitive environments (sacrifice and save).
Reduces the severity of restrictions.
Increases environmental flows during drought.
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