Toorourrong Reservoir

{{Infobox dam

| name = Toorourrong Dam

| name_official =

| image =

| image_size =

| image_caption =

| image_alt =

| location_map = Australia Victoria

| location_map_size = 250

| location_map_caption = Location of the Toorourrong Reservoir in Victoria

| location_map_alt =

| coordinates = {{coord|37|28|19|S|145|09|25|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| country = Australia

| location = {{VICcity|Whittlesea}}, Victoria

| purpose = Potable water supply

| status = O

| construction_began =

| opening =

| demolished =

| cost =

| owner =

| operator = Melbourne Water

| dam_type =

| dam_crosses = {{bulleted list|Plenty River|Diverted flows from the Wallaby and Silver Creeks}}

| 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 =

}}

Toorourrong Reservoir is a small water supply reservoir located on the southern slopes of the Great Dividing Range approximately {{convert|40|km}} north of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The reservoir is formed by the Toorourrong Dam across the Plenty River, and an interbasin transfer. The dam is operated by Melbourne Water and the reservoir forms part of the Melbourne water supply system. Water from the Toorourrong Reservoir flows by aqueduct to the Yan Yean Reservoir.

Description

The reservoir is formed by an earthen embankment dam across the eastern branch of the Plenty River below the junction with Jacks Creek. The system was constructed in 1883–1885 as an extension of the Yan Yean water system. 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, 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 Yan Yean.{{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 }}{{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 }}{{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 }} The reservoir catchments are within the Wallaby Creek section of the Kinglake National Park.{{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 }}

A safety review in 2006 recommended remedial works be undertaken on the dam. Grouted stone columns were installed on both the upstream and downstream sides of the dam wall in 2011.

{{cite conference

| last1 = Avalle | first1 = D. | author-link1 =

| last2 = Kok | first2 = B. | author-link2 =

| last3 = Lennie | first3 = T. | author-link3 =

| 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}}

{{PoI|Silver Creek Weir|-37.356171|145.209854|AU-VIC|Start of the Wallaby Aqueduct}}

{{PoI|End of Wallaby Aqueduct|-37.452469|145.205060|AU-VIC|Crossing the Great Dividing Range}}

{{PoI|The Cascades|-37.452015|145.201932|AU-VIC|Granite cascade taking water from aqueduct to Jacks Creek}}

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.{{cite news |title=Melbourne Water Supply |newspaper=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 }} 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.{{cite news |title=The Wallaby Creek Aqueduct |newspaper=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 }} The reservoir was constructed in 1883–1885 and linked to Yan Yean by the Clearwater Channel aqueduct, and the Wallaby Creek aqueduct was extended north to harvest Silver Creek.{{cite news |title=The Water Supply Board |newspaper=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 }} Public Works Department engineer William Thwaites designed most of these works.{{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 }} 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 catchments via Toorourrong.

The reservoir and associated works are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.{{cite VHD|149794||hr=2128}}

Toorourrong Reservoir Park

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.{{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 }} The park is now open to the public.{{cite web |url=http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/toorourrong-reservoir-park |title=Parks Victoria - Toorourrong Reservoir Park |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}}

In 2011, the City of Whittlesea's Bushfires Memorial Working Group selected Toorourrong Reservoir as a site for a memorial to remember the impact of the Victorian bushfires on the local community.{{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 }}

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.{{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 |accessdate=22 April 2011 }}

The population was disturbed by the 2009 bushfires and was believed extinct in 2018.

{{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