Toorourrong Reservoir

{{Short description|Reservoir and dam in Victoria, Australia}} {{Use Australian English|date=April 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}} {{Infobox dam | name = Toorourrong Dam | name_official = | image = | image_size = | image_caption = | image_alt = | location_map = Victoria | location_map_size = 240 | location_map_caption = Location of the dam and reservoir in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] | location_map_alt = | mapframe = yes | coordinates = {{coord|-37.475430|145.152296|type:landmark_region:AU-VIC|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | country = Australia | location = {{VICcity|Whittlesea}}, [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] | purpose = W | status = O | construction_began = 1883 | opening = 1885 | demolished = | cost = | designed_by = [[William Thwaites (engineer)|William Thwaites]] | owner = | operator = [[Melbourne Water]] | dam_type = F | dam_crosses = {{ubl|[[Plenty River (Victoria)|Plenty River]]|''Off-stream''}} | dam_length = | dam_height = | dam_height_foundation = | dam_height_thalweg = | dam_elevation_crest = | dam_width_crest = | dam_width_base = | dam_volume = | spillway_count = | spillway_type = | spillway_capacity = | res_name = Toorourrong Reservoir | res_capacity_total =  | res_capacity_active = | res_capacity_inactive = | res_catchment =  | res_surface =  | res_max_length = | res_max_width = | res_max_depth = | res_elevation =  | res_tidal_range = | plant_name = | plant_coordinates = | plant_operator = | plant_commission = | plant_decommission = | plant_type = | plant_hydraulic_head = | plant_turbines = | plant_capacity = | plant_annual_gen = | website = | extra = }} The '''Toorourrong Reservoir''' is a [[reservoir (water)|reservoir]], formed by the '''Toorourrong Dam''', an [[embankment dam]] across the [[Plenty River (Victoria)|Plenty River]] and an [[interbasin transfer]], located on the southern slopes of the [[Great Dividing Range]] approximately {{convert|40|km}} north of [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], Australia. Completed in 1885, the purpose of the reservoir is for the [[water supply|supply]] of [[potable water]] for [[Melbourne|Greater Metropolitan Melbourne]]. Water from the Toorourrong Reservoir flows by [[Aqueduct (water supply)|aqueduct]] to the [[Yan Yean Reservoir]].

== Dam and reservoir overview == === History === The [[Yan Yean Reservoir]], completed in 1857, was Melbourne's first water supply system. In 1879 low dam levels showed that further water sources were necessary to meet increased demand by a growing population.<ref name=argus-18880117>{{cite news |title=Melbourne Water Supply |newspaper=[[The Argus (Australia)|The Argus]] |page=5 |date=17 January 1888 |url= http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6101426 |accessdate=23 April 2011 |publisher=[[National Library of Australia]] }}</ref> The Wallaby Creek aqueduct was constructed in 1882–1883 to divert water via an interbasin transfer from Wallaby Creek via Jacks Creek and the Plenty River to Yan Yean.<ref name=argus-18830817>{{cite news |title=The Wallaby Creek Aqueduct |newspaper=[[The Argus (Australia)|The Argus]] |page=9 |date=17 August 1883 |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8549503 |accessdate=23 April 2011 |publisher=[[National Library of Australia]] }}</ref>

The [[earth-fill dam|earth-filled]] embankment was constructed between1883 and 1885 and linked to the Yan Yean Reservoir by the Clearwater Channel aqueduct, and the Wallaby Creek aqueduct was extended north to harvest Silver Creek.<ref name=argus-18840227>{{cite news |title=The Water Supply Board |newspaper=[[The Argus (Australia)|The Argus]] |page=10 |date=27 February 1884 |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11846556 |accessdate=23 April 2011 |publisher=[[National Library of Australia]] }}</ref> [[William Thwaites (engineer)|William Thwaites]], a Public Works department engineer, designed most of these works.<ref>{{cite book |first=Robert |last=La Nauze |title=Engineer to Marvellous Melbourne, The Life and Times of William Thwaites |publisher=Australian Scholarly Publishing |year=2011 }}</ref> As water quality in the lower Plenty River had deteriorated, the intake from the river at Yan Yean Reservoir was closed and all water supply was drawn from the closed forest [[drainage basin|catchments]] via the Toorourrong Reservoir.<ref name=argus-18880117/>

The dam, reservoir, and associated works are listed by the National Trust on the [[Victorian Heritage Inventory]].<ref name=VHD>{{cite VHD|149913|Toorourrong Reservoir & Channel|hr=6402}}</ref>

== Dam details == The dam is situated on the eastern branch of the Plenty River below the junction with Jacks Creek. Water is diverted from Wallaby and Silver Creeks, part of the [[Murray–Darling basin]] on the northern side of the Great Dividing Range—via the open, granite-lined Wallaby Aqueduct—across the Great Dividing Range just east of [[Mount Disappointment (Australia)|Mount Disappointment]], then into Jacks Creek and into the reservoir. The reservoir acts as a settling basin before the water travels {{convert|8|km|0}} down the Clearwater Channel to the Yan Yean Reservoir.<ref name=Ritchie>{{cite journal |last=Ritchie |first=E. G. |author-link=Edgar Ritchie (engineer) |title=Melbourne's Water Supply Undertaking |journal=Journal of Institution of Engineers Australia |volume=6 |pages=379–382 |date=October 1934 |url=http://www.consuleng.com.au/IE%20Aust%201934%20-%209%20Melb%20Water%20Supply.pdf |type=PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218183229/http://www.consuleng.com.au/IE%20Aust%201934%20-%209%20Melb%20Water%20Supply.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 February 2011 }}</ref><ref name=source>{{cite journal |last=Heselev |first=Tony |title=Watertight Goal |pages=8–9 |journal=The Source |publisher=[[Melbourne Water]] |issue=31 |date=August 2004 |url=http://www.melbournewater.com.au/content/library/news_and_events/the_source/the_source_issue_31.pdf |type=PDF |accessdate=22 April 2011 }}</ref><ref name=VHD/><ref name=context>{{cite web |last=Context Pty Ltd |title=Victorian Water Supply Heritage Study, Volume 1: Thematic Environmental History |date=31 October 2007 |url=http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/37007/Vic_Water_Supply_study_Vol1_partA.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110330234418/http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/37007/Vic_Water_Supply_study_Vol1_partA.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 March 2011 }}</ref> The reservoir catchments are within the Wallaby Creek section of the [[Kinglake National Park]].<ref name=PV>{{cite book |title=Wallaby Creek designated water supply catchment area, Kinglake National Park, Management Plan |url=http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources07/07_0190.pdf |type=PDF |publisher=[[Parks Victoria]] |date=August 1998 |accessdate=21 February 2011 |isbn=0-7311-3191-6 |archive-date=27 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227104501/http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources07/07_0190.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A safety review in 2006 recommended remedial works be undertaken on the dam.<ref name=PV_park_2/> [[Vibro stone column|Grouted stone columns]] were installed on both the upstream and downstream sides of the dam wall in 2011.<ref name=Avalle>{{cite conference |last1=Avalle |first1=D. |last2=Kok |first2=B. |last3=Lennie |first3=T. |title=Seismic retro-fit of an historic earth dam using grouted stone columns |book-title=11th Australia New Zealand Conference on Geomechanics |pages=692–697 |publisher= |date=2012 |location=Melbourne |url=https://www.issmge.org/publications/publication/seismic-retro-fit-of-an-historic-earth-dam-using-grouted-stone-columns |access-date=2022-05-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite conference |author1=Johnson, Craig |author2=Arnold, Mark |url=https://ancold.org.au/product/2011-toorourrong-reservoir-small-dam-big-problems/ |title=Toorourrong Reservoir – Small Dam, Big Problems |work=[[ANCOLD]] |date=2011 |access-date=2026-05-12 }}</ref>

==Toorourrong Reservoir Park== {{Infobox park | name = Toorourrong Reservoir Park | image = | image_size = | image_alt = | image_caption = | map =  | map_size = | type = [[Nature reserve]] | location = Whittlesea, Victoria | nearest_city = | coordinates = {{coord|-37.476609|145.150559|type:landmark_region:AU-VIC|format=dms|display=inline}} | area = {{cvt|12|ha}} | created = | operator = [[Parks Victoria]] | visitation_num = | status = Open | designation = | open = | website = {{url|https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/sites/toorourrong-reservoir-park|parks.vic.gov.au}} }}

Below the dam wall is the {{convert|12|ha|adj=on}} '''Toorourrong Reservoir Park'''. The park and surrounding forest were burned in the [[2009 Victorian bushfires]],<ref name=PV_park_2>{{cite web |title=Toorourrong Reservoir Park - Master Plan - Background Paper |url=http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/314140/TRes_Backgroundpaper_May2011.pdf| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427030019/http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/314140/TRes_Backgroundpaper_May2011.pdf |archive-date=2012-04-27 |publisher=[[Parks Victoria]] |date=May 2011 |accessdate=9 October 2011 }}</ref><ref name=PV_park_3/> and was re-opened to the public.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/toorourrong-reservoir-park |title=Parks Victoria - Toorourrong Reservoir Park |date= |website=parkweb.vic.gov.au |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407003832/http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/toorourrong-reservoir-park |archive-date=2012-04-07}} </ref>

In 2011, the [[City of Whittlesea]]'s Bushfires Memorial Working Group selected Toorourrong Reservoir Park as a site for a memorial to remember the impact of the Victorian bushfires on the local community.<ref name=PV_park_3>{{cite web |title=Have your say on Toorourrong Reservoir Park |url=http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/have-your-say-on-toorourrong-reservoir-park |publisher=[[Parks Victoria]] |date=4 October 2011 |accessdate=9 October 2011 }}</ref>

There is a [[platypus]]-watching hide overlooking the reservoir. The Australian Platypus Conservatory was based at the reservoir from 1996 to 2007 and at that time the area supported approximately 30 platypus.<ref name=ripples40>{{Cite journal |title=Toorourrong Bushfire Destruction |page=4 |journal=Ripples |publisher=Australian Platypus Conservatory |issue=40 |date=May 2009 |url=http://www.platypus.asn.au/RIPPLES40.pdf |type=PDF |access-date=22 April 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Easton, L. |author2=Williams, G. |author3=Serena, Melody |date=August 2008 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286996824_Monthly_variation_in_observed_activity_of_the_platypus_ornithorhynchus_anatinus |title=Monthly variation in observed activity of the platypus ornithorhynchus anatinus |journal=Victorian Naturalist |volume=125 |number=4 |pages=104-109 |issn= |format=abstract |via=researchgate.net }}</ref> The population was disturbed by the 2009 bushfires and was believed extinct in 2018.<ref>{{cite conference |last1=Griffiths |first1=J. |last2=van Rooyen | first2 = A. |last3=Benier |first3=J-M. |last4=Coleman |first4=R. |last5=Weeks |first5=A. |title=Tracking platypus populations through genetic fingerprints |book-title=Proceedings of the 9th Australian Stream Management Conference |pages=325-335 |publisher= |date=2018 |isbn=978-0-7340-5455-5 |url=https://rbms.tempurl.host/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/9ASM_p325_Griffiths.pdf}}</ref>

== See also == {{stack|{{Portal|Victoria|Water|Environment}}}} * [[List of reservoirs and dams in Australia#Victoria|List of reservoirs and dams in Victoria]] * [[Protected areas of Victoria]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{cite web |url=https://www.melbournewater.com.au |title=Home page |work=[[Melbourne Water]] |date=n.d. |access-date=2026-05-12 }}{{spaced endash}}{{small|(search of "Toorourrong" on this website produced "nil" result)}} ** {{cite web |url=https://www.melbournewater.com.au/sites/default/files/Yan%2520Yean%2520history%2520in%2520poster%2520format.pdf |title=Yan Yean history in poster format |work=[[Melbourne Water]] |date=n.d. |access-date=2026-05-12 }} * {{cite web |url=https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/sites/toorourrong-reservoir-park |title=Toorourrong Reservoir Park |work=[[Parks Victoria]] |date=n.d. |access-date=2026-05-12 }}

[[Category:1885 establishments in Australia]] [[Category:Dams in Victoria (state)]] [[Category:Dams completed in 1885]] [[Category:Earth-filled dams]] [[Category:Interbasin transfer]] [[Category:Reservoirs in Victoria (state)]] [[Category:Victorian Heritage Register Greater Melbourne (region)]]