# Parangana Dam

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Dam and power station in Tasmania, Australia

Dam in Northern Tasmania

Parangana Dam Interactive map of Parangana Dam Country Australia Location Northern Tasmania Coordinates 41°37′59″S 146°13′22″E / 41.633183°S 146.22277°E / -41.633183; 146.22277 Purpose Power Status Operational Opening date 1968 (1968) Owner Hydro Tasmania Dam and spillways Type of dam Rock-fill dam Impounds Mersey River Height 53 m (174 ft) Length 189 m (620 ft) Dam volume 382×10^3 m3 (13.5×10^6 cu ft) Spillways 1 Spillway type Uncontrolled Spillway capacity 2,093 m3/s (73,900 cu ft/s) Reservoir Creates Lake Parangana Total capacity 14,820 ML (12,010 acre⋅ft) Catchment area 715 km2 (276 sq mi) Surface area 11.4 ha (28 acres) Normal elevation 379 m (1,243 ft) AHD Parangana Power Station Coordinates 41°37′46″S 146°13′13″E / 41.629397979°S 146.2202809103°E / -41.629397979; 146.2202809103 Operator Hydro Tasmania Commission date 2002 Type Run-of-the-river mini-hydro Hydraulic head 35 m (115 ft) Turbines 1 x 0.75 MW (1,010 hp) (Tyco Tamar Francis-type) Installed capacity 0.75 MW (1,010 hp) Capacity factor 0.81 Website hydro.com.au [1]

The **Parangana Dam** is an earthen-faced rockfill [embankment dam](/source/Embankment_dam) across the [Mersey River](/source/Mersey_River_(Tasmania)), located south of [Mersey Forest](/source/Mersey_Forest), in the [northern](/source/North_West_Tasmania) region of [Tasmania](/source/Tasmania), Australia. Completed in 1968, the resultant [reservoir](/source/Reservoir), Lake Parangana, was established for the purpose of generating [hydro-electric power](/source/Hydro-electricity) via the **Parangana Power Station**, a [run-of-the-river](/source/Run-of-the-river_hydroelectricity) [mini-hydro](/source/Mini-hydro) [power station](/source/Power_station).

The dam, its reservoir, and the power station are owned and operated by [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania).

## Dam and reservoir overview

The [rock-filled dam](/source/Rock-filled_dam) wall with a clay core is 53 metres (174 ft) high and 189 metres (620 ft) long. When full, Lake Parangana has capacity of 14,820 [megalitres](/source/Megalitre) (12,010 [acre⋅ft](/source/Acre-foot)) and covers 11.4 hectares (28 acres), drawn from a [catchment area](/source/Drainage_basin) of 715 square kilometres (276 sq mi). The single [uncontrolled](/source/Spillway#Types) spillway is capable of discharging 2,093 cubic metres per second (73,900 cu ft/s).[1]

Water is fed into Lake Parangana after running through the [Rowallan](/source/Rowallan_Dam#Hydroelectric_power_station) and [Fisher](/source/Mackenzie_Dam#Hydroelectric_power_station) power stations. After running through the Parangana mini-hydro power station, water travels approximately eight-kilometre (5.0 mi) tunnels to the [Lemonthyme Power Station](/source/Lemonthyme_Power_Station) which discharges into the [River Forth](/source/Forth_River_(Tasmania)). However, for environmental reasons, some water continues down the Mersey River. The station was built to generate energy from this environmental flow. As a result, the Mersey-Forth power development diverts the majority of water from the upper reaches of the Mersey from Lake Parangana to the River Forth.[2]

On 2 March 2026, it was announced that the Sassafras Wesley Vale Irrigation Scheme Augmentation project officially commenced. The project will enable water to flow from the Mersey River, backed up by the Parangana Dam, to ensure farmers have water even in dry times. The project will add approximately 9.2 billion megalitres (7.5×109 acre⋅ft) of water to the scheme, and is expected to be completed by mid-to-late 2027, including the installation of more than 100 kilometres (62 mi) of new and upgraded pipes; two pump stations (new and refurbished); a balance tank; and seventy water outlets for farms.[3]

## Hydroelectric power station

The power station was commissioned in 2002 by Hydro Tasmania and is the only mini hydro electric power station in the Mersey–Forth run-of-river scheme that also contains seven run-of-the-river hydroelectric power stations.[4] The Parangana Power Station has one Tyco Tamar [Francis-type](/source/Francis_turbine) [turbine](/source/Water_turbine), with a generating capacity of 0.85 megawatts (1,140 hp).[5][6]

## 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 power stations in Tasmania](/source/List_of_power_stations_in_Tasmania)

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

- [List of lakes of Australia § Tasmania](/source/List_of_lakes_of_Australia#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) ["Register of Large Dams Australia-2015"](https://ancold.org.au/information-resources/dams-information/) ([Excel](/source/Microsoft_Excel). Requires download. Row 397). *[ANCOLD](/source/ANCOLD)*. January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Mersey River Catchment Report 2024/25"](https://nre.tas.gov.au/Documents/Mersey%20River%20Annual%20Report%2024-25.pdf) (PDF). *Department of Natural Resources and Environment*. [Tasmanian Government](/source/Tasmanian_Government). August 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Work starts on new project set to almost triple local water supply"](https://www.dcceew.gov.au/about/news/work-starts-new-project-set-almost-triple-local-water-supply). *[Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water](/source/Department_of_Climate_Change%2C_Energy%2C_the_Environment_and_Water)*. [Australian Government](/source/Australian_Government). 2 March 2026. Retrieved 30 April 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Our power stations: Mersey-Forth"](http://www.hydro.com.au/energy/our-power-stations/mersey-forth). *Energy*. [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania). n.d. Retrieved 3 July 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Parangana Power Station: Technical fact sheet"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150924033320/http://www.hydro.com.au/system/files/attachments/Parangana_Power_Station-Fact-Sheets.pdf) (PDF). *Mersey-Forth Catchment*. [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania). Archived from [the original](http://www.hydro.com.au/system/files/attachments/Parangana_Power_Station-Fact-Sheets.pdf) (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["The Hydro after 100 Years"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220821083524/https://engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/2022-06/eha-magazine-v1-6.pdf) (PDF). *[EHA Magazine](/source/EHA_Magazine)*. March 2015. p. 19. Archived from [the original](https://engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/2022-06/eha-magazine-v1-6.pdf) (PDF) on 21 August 2022.

## External links

- ["Our power stations: Mersey-Forth"](https://www.hydro.com.au/our-energy-system/our-power-stations/mersey-forth). *[Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania)*. Retrieved 30 April 2026.

- ["Mersey-Forth Water Management Review: Program Commitments"](https://www.hydro.com.au/sites/default/files/2026-02/mersey-forth_commitments_poster.pdf) (schematic). *[Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania)*. n.d. Retrieved 30 April 2026.

- ["Mersey-Forth Water Management Review: Fish Migration in the Mersey-Forth catchments: Technical and Social Study"](https://www.hydro.com.au/sites/default/files/2026-02/mersey-forth_techreport_fish_migration.pdf) (PDF). *[Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania)*. November 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2026.

- Knighton, A. D. (1988). ["The impact of the Parangana Dam on the River Mersey, Tasmania"](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0169555X88900153) (Abstract). *Geomorphology*. **1** (3): 221–237. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/0169-555X(88)90015-3](https://doi.org/10.1016%2F0169-555X%2888%2990015-3). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0169-555X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0169-555X). Retrieved 30 April 2026 – via Science Direct.

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 Lakes and other bodies of water in Tasmania, Australia Coastal lagoons and lakes Bronte Dulverton Jocks Orielton Little Waterhouse Freshwater Beatrice Dora Flannigan Meston St Clair Flooded Arthurs Brady Chain Binney Bradys Bronte Dee Echo Pine Tier Tungatinah Great King William Pedder Edgar Glacial Dove Selina Westwood Salt Fidler (Meromictic) Man-made reservoirs Barrington Burbury Catagunya Cethana Craigbourne Gairdner Gordon Henty Huntsman Liapootah Mackenzie Mackintosh Margaret Meadowbank Murchison Paloona Parangana Pieman Plimsoll Repulse Rowallan Rosebery Trevallyn Wayatinah Lakes portal

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Parangana Dam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parangana_Dam) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parangana_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.