# Candowie Dam

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Dam and reservoir near Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Dam in Greater Metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria

Candowie Dam The reservoir in 2021 Interactive map of Candowie Dam Country Australia Location Greater Metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria Coordinates 38°27′26″S 145°34′19″E / 38.457235°S 145.571809°E / -38.457235; 145.571809 Purpose Water supply Status Operational Opening date 1963 Built by McDonald Construction Thiess Operator Westernport Water Dam and spillways Type of dam Embankment dam Impounds Tennant Creek Off-stream Height (foundation) 17 m (56 ft) Length 160 m (520 ft) Dam volume 41×10^3 m3 (1.4×10^6 cu ft) Reservoir Creates Candowie Reservoir Total capacity 4,463 ML (3,618 acre⋅ft) Normal elevation 59 m (194 ft) Website westernportwater.com.au [1]

The **Candowie Dam** is an [embankment dam](/source/Embankment_dam) across [Tennant Creek](/source/Tennant_Creek), located in [Almurta](/source/Almurta%2C_Victoria), a small settlement approximately 105 kilometres (65 mi) southeast of the [Melbourne central business district](/source/Melbourne_central_business_district), in [Victoria](/source/Victoria_(state)), Australia. Completed in 1963, the resultant [reservoir](/source/Reservoir), the **Candowie Reservoir**, was established to [supply](/source/Water_supply) [potable water](/source/Potable_water) to the area, and is the main source of water for [Phillip Island](/source/Phillip_Island).

The dam and reservoir are co-located with a [water treatment plant](/source/Water_treatment_plant) and they are the only dam operated by Westernport Water.[2]

## Dam and reservoir overview

Tennent Creek is the main supply for the Candowie Reservoir, with additional [pumped supply](/source/Off-stream_reservoir) from the [Bass River](/source/Bass_River_(Victoria)), a pipe connection to [Cardinia Reservoir](/source/Cardinia_Reservoir), and boreholes in [Corinella](/source/Corinella), via the Corinella Aquifer.[3]

The [earth-](/source/Embankment_dam#Earth-fill_dams) and [rock-filled dam](/source/Rock-filled_dam) wall is 17 metres (56 ft) high and 160 metres (520 ft) long. When full, the resultant reservoir has a storage capacity of 4,463 [megalitres](/source/Megalitre) (3,618 [acre⋅ft](/source/Acre-foot)) and covers 55 hectares (140 acres). The [uncontrolled spillway](/source/Spillway#Types) has a discharge capacity of 131 cubic metres per second (4,600 cu ft/s).[1]

At the time of the dam's construction in 1963, the capacity of the reservoir was 1,037 megalitres (841 acre⋅ft). In 1978, the spillway was raised 1.68 metres (5 ft 6 in) and the [parapet](/source/Parapet) wall was raised by 1.7 metres (5 ft 7 in), with a resultant increase in capacity to 1,761 megalitres (1,428 acre⋅ft). The spillway was raised another 0.8 metres (2 ft 7 in) in 1982, with a resultant increase in capacity to 2,263 megalitres (1,835 acre⋅ft) Following a two-year [drought](/source/Drought_in_Australia) period in 2006–2007 where storage levels dipped to just 7 per cent of capacity, further works were completed in 2013 to increase the reservoir's storage capacity to its current levels.[4][2]

## See also

- [Victoria portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Victoria)
- [Water portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Water)

- [List of reservoirs and dams in Victoria](/source/List_of_reservoirs_and_dams_in_Australia#Victoria)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ANCOLD_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ANCOLD_1-1) ["Register of Large Dams Australia-2015"](https://ancold.org.au/information-resources/dams-information/) ([Excel](/source/Microsoft_Excel). Requires download. Row 79). *[ANCOLD](/source/ANCOLD)*. January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Allum_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Allum_2-1) Allum, Geoffrey; Jayasena, Chaminda (September 2013). [Westernport Water - Candowie Reservoir Upgrade Project (CUP) – The Story So Far](https://www.ancold.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/ANCOLD-Candowie-Article-JOK-Reviewed-170913.pdf) (PDF). *e-News: News from Victoria* (Report). [ANCOLD](/source/ANCOLD). Retrieved 18 May 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Sources: Candowie Reservoir"](https://www.westernportwater.com.au/products-services/water/sources/). *Western Port Water*. 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Candowie Reservoir to double in size"](https://web.archive.org/web/20240617224822/https://www.westernportwater.com.au/candowie-reservoir-to-double-in-size/). *Westernport Water*. 7 February 2013. Archived from [the original](https://www.westernportwater.com.au/candowie-reservoir-to-double-in-size/) on 17 June 2024.

## External links

- ["Sources: Candowie Reservoir"](https://www.westernportwater.com.au/products-services/water/sources/). *Western Port Water*. 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2026.

v t e Water supply in Victoria, Australia Greater Metropolitan Melbourne dams and reservoirs Anakie Cardinia Greenvale Maroondah Melton O'Shannassy Silvan Sugarloaf Tarago Thomson Toorourrong Upper Yarra Yan Yean Regional dams and reservoirs Allen Boga Blue Rock Bostock Cairn Curran Candowie Catani Dartmouth Eildon Eppalock Glenmaggie Goulburn/Nagambie Guthridge Korweinguboora Laanecoorie Lauriston Malsmbury Marengo Mokoan Moondara Mulwala Narracan Painkalac Rocklands Stony Creek Upper Coliban Waranga West Barwon West Gellibrand and Olangolah Reservoirs and No.4 & No.5 Basins William Hovell Wurdee Boluc Other water sources / facilities Altona Treatment Plant Eastern Treatment Plant Western Treatment Plant Victorian Desalination Plant Water companies and catchment management authorities Barwon Water Central Highlands Water Coliban Water East Gippsland Water Goulburn–Murray Water Goulburn Valley Water Greater Western Water Melbourne Water South East Water (Australia) Southern Rural Water Yarra Valley Water Catchment Management Authority (Vic) Corangamite CMA East Gippsland CMA Glenelg Hopkins CMA Mallee CMA Port Phillip and Westernport CMA West Gippsland CMA Historical William Davidson William Thwaites Bittern Devilbend Dights Falls Terang City West Water

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Candowie Dam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candowie_Dam) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candowie_Dam?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.