The William Hovell Dam is an embankment dam across the King River, located in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia. Completed in 1973, the resultant reservoir, Lake William Hovell, was established for the purposes of irrigation and the generation of hydroelectricity.
Named in honour of William Hovell, an explorer, the dam and reservoir are managed by Goulburn-Murray Water, and the power station is operated by Pacific Blue.
Dam and reservoir overview Dam The dam is located south of Whitfield on the edge of the Alpine National Park, fed by the King River and Evans Creek. It supplies water for approximately for irrigated crops, vineyards and grazing properties along the King River from Cheshunt to Wangaratta.
Completed in 1971 the rock and earth-fill dam structure is high and long. When full, the reservoir has capacity of , covers a surface area of , and is drawn from a catchment area of . The unusual flip bucket chute spillway has a discharge capacity of .
Reservoir Lake William Howell is stocked with wild brown trout, rainbow trout, redfin and Macquarie Perch. Fly fishing is permitted on the lake's shores and boats are permitted on the lake. Downstream of the dam wall, paddling and rafting is a common recreational pursuit. Limited picnic facilities are available.
Hydroelectric power station
Outflow from the dam drives a conventional hydroelectric generator, with an average annual output of , operated by Pacific Blue.
See also
List of power stations in Victoria List of reservoirs and dams in Victoria
References
External links