# Liapootah Dam

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Dam and hydroelectric power station in Central Highlands, Tasmania

Dam in Central Highlands Tasmania

Liapootah Dam The power station turbines in 2000 Interactive map of Liapootah Dam Country Australia Location Central Highlands Tasmania Coordinates 42°19′05″S 146°28′21″E / 42.318166°S 146.472436°E / -42.318166; 146.472436 Purpose Power Status Operational Opening date 1960 (1960) Owner Hydro Tasmania Dam and spillways Type of dam Gravity dam Impounds Nive River Height 40 m (130 ft) Length 110 m (360 ft) Dam volume 37×10^3 m3 (1.3×10^6 cu ft) Spillways 1 Spillway type Controlled crest drum gate Spillway capacity 2,405 m3/s (84,900 cu ft/s) Reservoir Creates Lake Liapootah Total capacity 1,880 ML (66×10^6 cu ft) Catchment area 1,227 km2 (474 sq mi) Surface area 21 ha (52 acres) Liapootah Power Station Coordinates 42°18′36″S 146°28′12″E / 42.31000°S 146.47000°E / -42.31000; 146.47000 Operator Hydro Tasmania Commission date 1960 (1960) Type Run-of-the-river Hydraulic head 103 m (338 ft) Turbines 3 x 29.1 MW (39,000 hp) (English Electric Francis-type) Installed capacity 87.3 MW (117,100 hp) Capacity factor 0.9 Annual generation 440 GWh (1,600 TJ) Website hydro.com.au [1]

The **Liapootah Dam** is a [gravity dam](/source/Gravity_dam) across the Nive River, located in the [Central Highlands](/source/Central_Highlands_(Tasmania)) region of [Tasmania](/source/Tasmania), Australia. Completed in 1960, the dam was built by [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania) for the purpose of generating [hydroelectricity](/source/Hydroelectricity). The resultant [reservoir](/source/Reservoir), Lake Liapootah, provides water for the **Liapootah Power Station**, a [run-of-the-river](/source/Run-of-the-river_hydroelectricity) hydroelectric [power station](/source/Power_station).[2]

## Dam overview

The concrete gravity dam wall is 40 metres (130 ft) high and 110 metres (360 ft) long. When full, the reservoir has capacity for 1,880 [megalitres](/source/Megalitre) (1,520 [acre⋅ft](/source/Acre-foot)) and covers 21 hectares (52 acres), drawn from a [catchment area](/source/Drainage_basin) of 1,227 square kilometres (474 sq mi). The [controlled spillway](/source/Spillway#Types) has a flow capacity of 2,405 cubic metres per second (84,900 cu ft/s). Water from the Derwent below the [Tarraleah](/source/Tarraleah_Power_Station) and [Tungatinah](/source/Tungatinah_Power_Station) power stations is diverted through a 6.6-kilometre (4.1 mi) concrete lined tunnel.[1]

## Hydroelectric power station

Part of the [Derwent River](/source/Derwent_River_(Tasmania)) scheme that comprises eleven hydroelectric power stations, the Liapootah Power Station is the first power station in the lower run-of-river system. The power station is located above ground, below Lake Liapootah.

Lake Liapootah is very narrow and is considered a run-of-the-river storage. During high inflow events the pond level can threaten the Tarraleah Power Station upstream. The drum gate is designed to lower automatically and maintain a maximum pond level below the flood level of Tarraleah station. Having the drum gate installed maximises the head at Liapootah station. The alternative to this would have been to build the dam at a lower level, thus reducing the available output from Liapootah station.[2][3]

The power station was commissioned in 1960 by the [Hydro Electric Corporation (TAS)](/source/Hydro_Tasmania) and the station has three 29.1-megawatt (39,000 hp) [English Electric](/source/English_Electric) [Francis](/source/Francis_turbine) [turbines](/source/Water_turbine), with a combined generating capacity of 87.3 megawatts (117,100 hp) of electricity.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Within the station building, each turbine has a fully embedded spiral casing and water flow is controlled by a spherical rotary main inlet valve and a turbine relief valve designed to prevent spiral casing overpressure. The station output, estimated to be 440 [gigawatt-hours](/source/Kilowatt-hour) (1,600 [TJ](/source/Terajoule)) annually,[1] is fed to [TasNetworks](/source/TasNetworks)' transmission grid via three banks of 11 k[V](/source/Voltage)/220 kV three-phase English Electric generator transformers to the outdoor switchyard.[2]

## See also

- [Renewable energy portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Renewable_energy)
- [Australia portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Australia)
- [Water portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Water)

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

- [List of power stations in Tasmania](/source/List_of_power_stations_in_Tasmania)

- [List of run-of-the-river hydroelectric power stations](/source/List_of_run-of-the-river_hydroelectric_power_stations)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ANCOLD_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ANCOLD_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-ANCOLD_1-2) ["Register of Large Dams Australia-2015"](https://ancold.org.au/information-resources/dams-information/) ([Excel](/source/Microsoft_Excel). Requires download. Row 294). *[ANCOLD](/source/ANCOLD)*. January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-hydrotech_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-hydrotech_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-hydrotech_2-2) ["Liapootah Power Station Fact Sheet: Technical fact sheet"](https://www.hydro.com.au/docs/default-source/clean-energy/our-power-stations/power-station-fact-sheets/liapootah-power-station-fact-sheet.pdf?sfvrsn=81cc9b28_2) (PDF). *Energy: Our power stations*. [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230618035317/https://www.hydro.com.au/docs/default-source/clean-energy/our-power-stations/power-station-fact-sheets/liapootah-power-station-fact-sheet.pdf?sfvrsn=81cc9b28_2) (PDF) from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-hydro_3-0)** ["Derwent: Liapootah Power Station"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150707023226/http://www.hydro.com.au/energy/our-power-stations/derwent-0/liapootah-power-station). *Energy*. [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania). Archived from [the original](http://www.hydro.com.au/energy/our-power-stations/derwent-0/liapootah-power-station) on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.

## External links

- [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania) page on [the Derwent hydropower scheme](https://www.hydro.com.au/clean-energy/our-power-stations/derwent)

v t e Dams and reservoirs in Tasmania, Australia Central Highlands Arthurs Lake Catagunya Clark Cluny Lake Binney Lake Echo Liapootah Meadowbank Miena Pine Tier Repulse Wayatinah King Island Upper Grassy North East Briseis Cascade Clarence Curries River Duck Reach Weir Frome Monarch Mount Paris North West Guide River Henty Pet River White Spur Northern Augusta Cethana Devils Gate Ford Mackenzie Meander Paloona Parangana Rowallan Taylor No. 3 Trevally Wilmot South Craigbourne Flagstaff Gully Hall No. 2 Knights Creek Limekiln Gully Lower Reservoir Ridgeway Rileys Creek Risdon Brook Stanton South West Edgar Gordon Laughing Jack Scotts Peak Serpentine Western Anthony and levee Bastyan and levee Crotty Darwin Mackintosh Tullabardine Margaret Murchison Newton Reece Decommissioned Tolosa Park Category | List

v t e Energy in Tasmania Hydroelectric Derwent Butlers Gorge Catagunya Cluny Lake Echo Liapootah Meadowbank Nieterana Repulse Tarraleah Tungatinah Wayatinah Gordon-Pedder Gordon Franklin Dam controversy Mersey-Forth Cethana Devils Gate Fisher Lemonthyme Paloona Parangana Rowallan Wilmot West Coast King John Butters Lake Margaret Pieman / Anthony Bastyan Mackintosh Reece Tribute Yingina / Great Lake Poatina Tods Corner Trevallyn Others Huntsman Decommissioned Duck Reach Moorina Waddamana Waddamana B Wind farms Granville Harbour Musselroe Woolnorth Cattle Hill Huxley Hill (King Island) Natural gas Tamar Valley Decommissioned Bell Bay Organisations Alinta Aurora Powerco Hydro Tasmania Roaring 40s TasNetworks Former Transend Networks Interconnectors Basslink Planned Marinus Link Other Office of the Tasmanian Economic Regulator 2016 Tasmanian energy crisis List of power stations in Tasmania

v t e Central Highlands region of Tasmania, Australia Settlements Bronte Park Derwent Bridge Gretna Liawenee Miena Tarraleah Governance Lyons (federal) Lyons (state) Western Tiers (state) Central Highlands Council Meander Valley Council Mountains Artillery Knob King Davids Mount Olympus Du Cane Range The Acropolis Castle Crag Geryon Gould Ossa Thetis Cradle Cirque - Bluff Cirque Barn Bluff Cradle Smithies Cathedral Cathedral Great Western Tiers Ironstone Mother Cummings Quamby Bluff Pelion Range Pelion East Pelion West National parks Other conservation areas Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair Mole Creek Karst Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Walls of Jerusalem Central Plateau Conservation Area Interlaken Lakeside Reserve Rivers Derwent Lake Nive Meander Lakes Arthurs Bronte Great Mackenzie St Clair Dams Arthurs Lake Catagunya Clark Cluny Lake Binney Liapootah Mackenzie Meadowbank Meander Miena Pine Tier Miena Repulse Wayatinah Power stations Butlers Gorge Catagunya Cluny Fisher Lake Echo Liapootah Meadowbank Nieterana Poatina Repulse Tarraleah Tods Corner Tungatinah Wayatinah Decommissioned Waddamana Transport Lake Highway Lyell Highway Marlborough Highway Landmarks El Grande Horseshoe Falls Lady Barron Falls Overland Track Pelion Gap Russell Falls Waterfall Valley Hut other Central Highlands (bioregion) 2016 Tasmanian bushfires

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Liapootah Dam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liapootah_Dam) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liapootah_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.