North Dandalup Dam

North Dandalup Dam is a dam in Western Australia. It is located 150 kilometres south of Perth in the Darling Scarp, which forms the western border of the Darling Ranges. Constructed in 1994, it was opened by the then state Premier Richard Court in October of that year. It was the final project in a dam building scheme, a scheme which includes the Victoria and Conjurunjup Dams.

The dam, described by the Water Corporation as "A strategic source of public drinking water for the Integrated Water Supply System (IWSS)," provides water to Perth, Mandurah, Pinjarra, Harvey, the Goldfields and agricultural supply, and has in the past has counted for 10% of Perth's annual water supply.

Capacity

The $50 million project, with a capacity to hold 75 million kilolitres (75 Gigalitres), has at its peak, held 59.85% of capacity in 1996, with it reaching a minimum of 16.39% as of 2011. It has a catchment area of 153km², with 510 hectares of surface area at full storage. There is a total system yield of 22 GL per annum as of 2009, an increase from 19 GL per annum in 2005.

Water Sources

Average rainfall entering the dam between 1912-2000 was 28.8 GL/year, however, reduced rainfall has resulted in a 35% decrease since 1975 to 18.7 GL/year. The dam extracts water from the North Dandalup River, with the allocation licence for the dam allowing the Water Corporation to divert 22.2 GL/annum. Reduced rainfall and streamflow in recent times has resulted in less water being extracted, with 11.5 GL being removed in 2002/3 and 9.3 GL in 2003/4.

Layout

Main Dam

The dam is a height of 62 metres and 192 metres long.

Other dams

There are two earthfill saddle dams on low lying ridges slightly to the northwest, next to the main dam, the larger being 22 metres high, and the smaller being 9. Between these dams there is a lookout which provides a view of Mandurah, the Peel inlet, and the Indian Ocean. There is another dam, the original Pipehead dam, built in 1971, which is now open for recreational use.^[1] In this recreational area there are facilities such as barbecues, toilets, picnic tables and parking.

Environment

Flora & Fauna

The surrounding area contains a variety of flora and fauna, with the vegetation predominantly consisting of jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), marri (E. calophylla) and wandoo (E. wandoo). Wildlife consists of kookaburras, long-billed cockatoos, and the Scarlet Robin.^[2][3][4]

Geology

The dam forms part of the Archaean Yilgarn block, consisting of mainly granitoid rock with dolerite dykes and is capped with laterite.

Water Quality

According to a Water Corporation study shown in the table below, the dam contains low levels of metals, and inorganics, and the only pesticide present is Simazine, present in only one sample in levels well below Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG). A 2005 protection plan also by the Department of Environment (DoE) showed there are risks of pathogen contamination, turbidity, pesticides and nutrient contamination, with pathogens being the most severe possibility, but turbidity being the one with the highest possibility of occurring.

Before being supplied to the Integrated Water Supply System (IWSS), water is disinfected by chlorination and then fluorinated. Microbial testing is conducted on a weekly to monthly basis, depending on season.^[5]

Controversy

There was controversy in mid-2015 after a group of local farmers backed by former-cop Liberal MP Murray Cowper claimed the North Dandalup River was being 'killed' by the Western Australian Department of Water by not releasing water from dams, including the North Dandalup dam into the river to increase flow.^[6]

4 campers and three dogs were caught swimming in the dam in 2014. They pleaded guilty, and were fined.^[7]

References

Coordinates: 32°31′06″S 116°00′57″E / 32.5184°S 116.0158°E / -32.5184; 116.0158