# Wayatinah Dam

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Dam and power station in central highlands Tasmania

Dam in Central Highlands Tasmania

Wayatinah Dam Interactive map of Wayatinah Dam Country Australia Location Central Highlands Tasmania Coordinates 42°24′00″S 146°29′38″E / 42.400041°S 146.493931°E / -42.400041; 146.493931 Purpose Power Status Operational Opening date 1956 (1956) Owner Hydro Tasmania Dam and spillways Type of dam Rock-fill dam Impounds River Derwent Height 24 m (79 ft) Length 549 m (1,801 ft) Dam volume 125×10^3 m3 (4.4×10^6 cu ft) Spillways 1 Spillway type Uncontrolled Spillway capacity 3,115 m3/s (110,000 cu ft/s) Reservoir Creates Wayatinah Lagoon Total capacity 8,860 ML (7,180 acre⋅ft) Catchment area 2,112 km2 (815 sq mi) Surface area 24.1 ha (60 acres) Normal elevation 232 m (761 ft) AHD Wayatinah Power Station Coordinates 42°25′12″S 146°31′48″E / 42.42000°S 146.53000°E / -42.42000; 146.53000 Operator Hydro Tasmania Commission date 1957 (1957) Type Run-of-the-river Hydraulic head 56 m (184 ft) Turbines 3 x 15.3 MW (20,500 hp) English Electric Francis-type Installed capacity 38.3 MW (51,400 hp) Capacity factor 0.85 Annual generation 440 GWh (1,600 TJ) Website hydro.com.au [1]

The **Wayatinah Dam** is a rock-filled [embankment dam](/source/Embankment_dam) with earthen core across the [Lower River Derwent](/source/Derwent_River_(Tasmania)), located near the small settlement of [Wayatinah](/source/Wayatinah%2C_Tasmania), in the [Central Highlands](/source/Central_Highlands_(Tasmania)) region of [Tasmania](/source/Tasmania), Australia. Completed in 1983, the resultant [reservoir](/source/Reservoir), Wayatinah Lagoon, was established for the purpose of generation of [hydroelectricity](/source/Hydroelectricity) via the adjacent **Wayatinah Power Station**, a [run-of-the-river](/source/Run-of-the-river_hydroelectricity) hydroelectric [power station](/source/Power_station).

The dam, its reservoir, and the power station are owned and operated by [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania). The [etymology](/source/Etymology) of the word *wayatinah* is derived from a [Tasmanian](/source/Aboriginal_Tasmanians) [Aboriginal word](/source/Australian_Aboriginal_languages) meaning "brook" or "stream".[2][3]

## Dam and reservoir overview

The [rockfill dam](/source/Rockfill_dam) wall is 24 metres (79 ft) high and 549 metres (1,801 ft) long. When full, the Wayatinah Lagoon has capacity of 8,860 [megalitres](/source/Megalitre) (7,180 [acre⋅ft](/source/Acre-foot)) and covers 24.1 hectares (60 acres), drawn from a [catchment area](/source/Drainage_basin) of 2,112 square kilometres (815 sq mi). The [uncontrolled spillway](/source/Spillway#Types) has a flow capacity of 3,115 cubic metres per second (110,000 cu ft/s).[1]

## Hydroelectric power station

Part of the [Derwent](/source/River_Derwent_(Tasmania)) scheme that comprises eleven hydroelectric power stations, the Wayatinah Power Station is the sixth power station in the scheme and the second power station in the lower run-of-river system. The aboveground power station is located on the Derwent, below its junction with the Nive River. Water from the Derwent from [Liapootah Power Station](/source/Liapootah_Power_Station) and spill from Liapootah Dam flows into Wayatinah Lagoon. Water in the lagoon is diverted by a 2-kilometre (1.2 mi)-long tunnel to two low pressure woodstave pipelines, each 1.3 kilometres (0.81 mi) long. It then descends 56 metres (184 ft) through three steel [penstocks](/source/Penstocks) to the Wayatinah Power Station. The tunnel intake structure is provided with two vertical lift, gravity close intake gates designed to cut off full flow. Each of the three steel penstocks is provided with a hilltop valve designed to close under full flow.[4][5]

The power station was commissioned in 1957 by the [Hydro Electric Corporation (TAS)](/source/Hydro_Tasmania) and the station has three 15.3-megawatt (20,500 hp) [English Electric](/source/English_Electric) [Francis](/source/Francis_turbine) [turbines](/source/Water_turbine), with a combined generating capacity of 38.3 megawatts (51,400 hp) of electricity.[6] 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 an 11 k[V](/source/Voltage)/220 kV three-phase English Electric generator transformer to the outdoor switchyard. An 11 kV indoor switchgear system also supplies a distribution yard that supplies power to the local area from Wayatinah village to [Hamilton](/source/Hamilton%2C_Tasmania) and includes the power stations of Liapootah, Wayatinah, [Catagunya](/source/Catagunya_Power_Station), [Repulse](/source/Repulse_Power_Station) and [Cluny](/source/Cluny_Power_Station).[4]

## 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 Tasmania](/source/List_of_reservoirs_and_dams_in_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) [***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 536). *[ANCOLD](/source/ANCOLD)*. January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Grant, Duncan (5 August 2024). ["No. 1508 - Wayatinah - St Joseph the Worker Catholic Church"](https://www.churchesoftasmania.com/2024/08/no-1508-wayatinah-st-joseph-worker.html). *Churches of Tasmania*. Retrieved 24 April 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Placename_3-0)** ["Placenames Tasmania – Wayatinah"](https://www.placenames.tas.gov.au/#p1). Placenames Tasmania. Select “Search”, enter "649M", click “Search”, select row, map is displayed, click “Details”. Retrieved 5 June 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-hydrotech_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-hydrotech_4-1) ["Wayatinah Power Station Fact Sheet: Technical fact sheet"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150924033542/http://www.hydro.com.au/system/files/attachments/Wayatinah_Power_Station-Fact-Sheets.pdf) (PDF). *Energy: Our power stations*. [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania). Archived from [the original](http://www.hydro.com.au/system/files/attachments/Wayatinah_Power_Station-Fact-Sheets.pdf) (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-hydro_5-0)** ["Derwent: Wayatinah Power Station"](http://www.hydro.com.au/energy/our-power-stations/derwent-0/wayatinah-power-station). *Energy*. [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania). Retrieved 5 July 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Austral Archaeology Pty Ltd; Terry, Ian (April 2007). ["Wayatinah Power Station—Conservation Management Plan"](http://www.hydro.com.au/system/files/documents/Cultural_heritage/conservation_mgmt_plan_liapootah.pdf) (PDF). Retrieved 1 February 2012.[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

## External links

- ["Lower Derwent Catchment"](https://web.archive.org/web/20060919104726/http://www.hydro.com.au/home/Energy/Tasmanian+Hydro+Electric+Schemes/Catchment+Areas/Derwent+Catchment/The+Lower+Derwent.htm). *[Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.hydro.com.au/home/Energy/Tasmanian+Hydro+Electric+Schemes/Catchment+Areas/Derwent+Catchment/The+Lower+Derwent.htm) on 19 September 2006.

- ["Wayatinah Dam"](https://walkingthederwent.com/tag/wayatinah-dam/). *Walking the Derwent*. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2026.

v t e Hydroelectric dams on the River Derwent Clark Wayatinah Catagunya Repulse Cluny Meadowbank

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 [Wayatinah Dam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayatinah_Dam) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayatinah_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.