Hope Valley Dam

Hope Valley Dam
A shelter on the dam wall, 2025
Location of the dam in Adelaide
Location of the dam in Adelaide
Hope Valley Dam
Location within Greater Adelaide
Interactive map of Hope Valley Dam
CountryAustralia
LocationAdelaide, South Australia
Coordinates34°51′14″S 138°40′53″E / 34.85389°S 138.681407°E / -34.85389; 138.681407
PurposeWater supply
StatusOperational
Opening date1873
Built byG & RE Fry
OwnerGovernment of South Australia
OperatorSA Water
Dam and spillways
Type of damEarth fill dam
ImpoundsOff-stream
Height (foundation)22 m (72 ft)
Length765 m (2,510 ft)
Dam volume236×10^3 m3 (8.3×10^6 cu ft)
Spillway typeUncontrolled
Spillway capacity5 m3/s (180 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
CreatesHope Valley Reservoir
Total capacity3.63 GL (2,940 acre⋅ft)
Active capacity2.84 GL (2,300 acre⋅ft)[citation needed]
Catchment area3 km2 (1.2 sq mi)
Surface area60.3 ha (149 acres)
Normal elevation102 m (335 ft) AHD

The Hope Valley Dam is an off-stream earth-filled embankment dam, located in Hope Valley, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. Completed in 1873, the resultant reservoir, the Hope Valley Reservoir, was established to supply potable water for the city of Adelaide.

Overview

When completed in 1873, it became the second reservoir constructed in Adelaide and remains the oldest still in use in South Australia.

The off-stream channel which connects the Millbrook Reservoir with the Hope Valley Reservoir, 1920

The earth-filled dam wall is 22 metres (72 ft) high and 765 metres (2,510 ft) long. When full, the reservoir has capacity of 3,630 megalitres (2,940 acre⋅ft) and covers 60.3 hectares (149 acres), drawn from a relatively-small catchment area of 3 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi). The uncontrolled spillway has a flow capacity of 5 cubic metres per second (180 cu ft/s).

The reservoir is fed by water transferred from the River Torrens via a tunnel and aqueduct. The river is also used to transfer water from the Kangaroo Creek and Millbrook reservoirs.

In December 2020, the reservoir was opened to the public for the first time for activities including walking, running, cycling and picnicking.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Water Storage (Reservoirs)". SA Water. 10 November 2009. Archived from the original on 24 January 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  2. ↑ Public Works Committee (August 2000). "Hope Valley Reservoir rehabilitation project (final report)" (PDF). Parliament of South Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  3. ↑ "Register of Large Dams Australia-2015" (Excel. Requires download. Row 236). ANCOLD. January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  4. ↑ "South Australia's Hope Valley Reservoir now open to the public - Australasian Leisure Management". www.ausleisure.com.au. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2022.