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Khancoban Dam

Khancoban Dam
Khancoban Dam spillway in January 2010
Location of the Khancoban Dam in New South Wales
Country	Australia
Location	Snowy Mountains, New South Wales
Coordinates	36°14′S 148°07′E / 36.233°S 148.117°E / -36.233; 148.117
Status	Operational
Opening date	1965
Owner(s)	Snowy Hydro
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment dam
Impounds	Swampy Plain River
Height	18 metres (59 ft)
Length	1,067 metres (3,501 ft)
Dam volume	629,100 cubic metres (22,220,000 cu ft)
Spillways	1
Spillway type	Controlled
Spillway capacity	3,540 cubic metres per second (125,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Khancoban Reservoir
Total capacity	26,643 megalitres (940.9×10^6 cu ft)
Catchment area	788 square kilometres (304 sq mi)
Surface area	4,694 hectares (11,600 acres)

Khancoban Dam is a major ungated earthfill embankment dam with a controlled spillway across the Swampy Plain River in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales, Australia. The dam's main purpose is for the generation of hydro-power and is one of the sixteen major dams that comprise 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 the Khancoban Reservoir.

Completed in 1965, Khancoban Dam is a major dam, located within the Snowy Valleys local government area, approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) southwest of the town of Khancoban. The dam was constructed by Kaiser Engineers and Construction Incorporation based on engineering plans developed under contract from the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Authority.^[1]

Built on a soil foundation, the dam wall comprises 629,100 cubic metres (22,220,000 cu ft) of earthfill with an internal core, and is 18 metres (59 ft) high and 1,067 metres (3,501 ft) long. At 100% capacity the dam wall holds back 26,643 megalitres (940.9×10^⁶ cu ft) of water. The surface area of Khancoban Reservoir is 469 hectares (1,160 acres) and the catchment area is 788 square kilometres (304 sq mi). The controlled spillway is capable of discharging 3,540 cubic metres per second (125,000 cu ft/s).^[1][2]

Located immediately upstream of the Khancoban Reservoir is the Murray 2 Power Station, a 550 megawatts (740,000 hp) conventional hydroelectric power station. Water from the power plant is discharged into the reservoir, before passing over the spillway of Khancoban Dam, and down the Swampy Plain River.

• Kosciuszko National Park
• List of dams and reservoirs in New South Wales
• Snowy Hydro Limited
• Snowy Mountains Scheme
• Snowy Scheme Museum

• Bevitt, R.; Erskine, W.; Gillespie, G.; Harriss, J.; Lake, P.; Miners, B.; Varley, I. (May 2009). Expert panel environmental flow assessment of various rivers affected by the Snowy Mountains Scheme. NSW Department of Water and Energy. ISBN 978-0-7347-5656-5.