Copeton Dam

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Date: [unknown]
Location: Copeton Dam, New South Wales, Australia

Profile manager: Peter Jones

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Aerial view north from downstream

Copeton Dam is one of the largest Dams in NSW with a capacity nearly equal to three times that of Sydney Harbour, a depth of up to 104 metres, and a maximum surface area of 4,620 hectares. It's catchment is around 5,360 square kilometres extending east to the great dividing range near Guyra and Uralla.

1 Associated WikiTree Profiles
2 Before Construction
3 Construction
4 Opening
5 Operation
6 Benefits & Controversy
7 Upgrade
8 Today
9 Sources
10 Other Links

Associated WikiTree Profiles

Brind, Henry Edward (1932-2019) - Principal, Copeton Dam Public School, 1969-1972/73
Jones, Wilfred Henry Charles John (1921-2001) - Officer In Charge, ~1974-1983
Wran, Neville Kenneth, AC CNZM QC MLA (1926-2014) - NSW Premier who officially opened Copeton Dam on 23 October 1976

Before Construction

According to Water NSW,

"A dam on the Gwydir River was proposed as early as the 1930s to improve town water supplies and boost agricultural production in the Gwydir Valley. World War II and subsequent shortage of funds halted further investigations. It was 1966 before a final site was chosen..."

On 14th December 1967 the Copeton Dam Act received Royal Assent. It was,

"An Act to sanction and to provide for the construction of a dam across the Gwydir River about five miles west of Copeton and works incidental thereto".

Construction

Plaque

Construction was undertaken by the then NSW Water Conservation & Irrigation Commission (WC&IC). The WC&IC later became the Water Resources Commission (WRC) and then the Department of Water Resources and Water NSW.

Works began in March 1968 and the Dam wall completed in 1973. Construction of the main spillway gates was completed in 1976 which increased storage to 1,364,000 megalitres.

Aerial view of the construction village

The whole endeavour necessitated the bringing together of a workforce and to support this a 'Construction Village' was built adjacent to Kangaroo Springs Creek and what is now Copeton Dam Road, around 5 kilometres west of the dam wall. Accommodation for all involved and their families was in the form of relocatable weatherboard buildings. Single men had one bedroom units in an area south west of the village centre and families had small homes to the north and west.

Copeton Dam Public School

From 1968 until 1973 it was a thriving community with a primary school (1969-73) with up to 3 teachers, butcher, 'cash-n-carry' shop, police station (1969-73), nurse, a church building shared by all major denominations, post office, library, and a community hall. On the sporting front there was bowls club, golf club, and a football field. There was also a pub of sorts (the 'canteen') which was the watering hole for all on-site.

A number of other images have been uploaded for anyone who might wish to see what it was all like in the construction village.

Village centre

Opening

The Dam was officially opened by the then Premier Of New South Wales, Hon. Neville Wran, AC CNZM QC MLA, on 23 October 1976.

Operation

The first water to flow over the spillway was in early (January or February?) 1976, even before the radial gates had been completed. The resulting erosion on the southern side of the spillway necessitated remedial works. Further details are available on Richard Woodward's "Dam Site".

Benefits & Controversy

Even before construction commenced the project generated some controversy and even animosity from affected landholders. The resumption of numerous properties and the flooding of the villages of Copeton and Dasey Town forever changed the lives of the owners and residents, many of whom had lived in the area for generations. The remnants of their lives is still in evidence, submerged under the water storage, and ocassionally evident when the level falls sufficiently.^[1]

During construction, particularly from 1969 to 1973, the Dam provided significant economic benefits to Inverell and surrounding areas. While many workers moved into the area for the duration, a number of local people were engaged. Some found long-term employment that continued after completion and as it transitioned to ongoing operation.

As well as providing a more reliable source of water from the Gwydir River for farmers and communities downstream, Copeton Dam also offered a number of other more enduring benefits.

The most obvious ongoing benefits are to the town of Inverell. Although not originally planned as a water supply, Copeton Dam has been the primary water supply since 1981. Until that year, certainly through the 1970's, Inverell was subject to almost permanent water restrictions. Another benefit has been the ongoing economic and lifestyle benefits of having such a large expanse of water available for recreation and tourism.

A notable problem with water releases from reservoirs such as Copeton Dam, and one particularly noted first-hand by this author in the 1970's, is that of 'cold water pollution'. The issue is that the temperature of the water discharged is significantly below what downstream habitats are adapted to and inhibits, for example, native fish spawning. This is currently an issue being highlighted by residents in Bingara.

Upgrade

To improve the Dam's ability to withstand extreme floods, in 2010 work started on a fuse plug spillway at Diamond Bay (east of the Dam wall). This was completed in 2013.