Another financial year has come to an end and it has been another busy and successful year for ANCOLD due to the ongoing dedication and efforts of our members and/or volunteers in delivering on many fronts. Since the last newsletter there have been a range of new things happening and I provide details on several of these below.

 

The draft strategic plan was issued for comment and I thank those who have provided constructive and helpful feedback. These comments are currently being incorporated in the finalisation of the plan. The plan is structured under 6 key result areas and I would like to focus on the first two of these in particular in this newsletter. They relate to Service to Members and Technical Knowledge transfer.

 

Following the great success of our Young Professionals Initiative and interest from members in establishing other groups we are currently looking at establishing our next interest group. There appears to be a strong demand for providing a forum for dam managers, river managers, dam operators and other like persons to facilitate the sharing of information, ideas, issues and concerns. In this regard Chris Topham from Hydro Tasmania has recently kindly agreed to chair a small working group to prepare a position paper on the needs of such an interest group, how the initiative may be pursued and the benefits that it will bring to the industry. If you would like to be involved in assisting with this new initiative then please contact ancold@leishman-associates.com.au  

 

The first of the Professional Development courses on Retarding Basins has been held with very positive feedback. Registrations have just opened for two new short courses/workshops to be held in the second half of 2013. They are on: Internal Erosion and Piping of Dams and their Foundations; and Hydrology, Dambreak and Consequence Assessment. We are very proud to announce that Wayne Graham who worked for the Bureau of Reclamation for more than 30 years and was responsible for preparing dam failure inundation mapping and downstream hazard potential classifications will be one of the key presenters at the latter of these workshops. More information is provided later in this newsletter.

 

Peter Hill from SKM is in the process of establishing a working group looking into an update of the 2000 Guideline on the Selection of Acceptable Flood Capacity for Dams. To assist in the process a survey has been prepared seeking comments on the current use of the guideline, any current issues with its use and what matters should be considered in its review. I seek your help in completing the survey by clicking on the following link ANCOLD AFC SURVEY 

Finally, I would like to advise that the annual conference for 2013 will be a joint NZSOLD/ANCOLD event to be held in Rotorua, New Zealand in November and registrations have just opened. Please refer below for further details.

Ian Landon-Jones

Chairman

Since the ANCOLD Conference in Perth last year this working group has been busy developing a series of dam related short courses, workshops, seminars and webinars to be brought out progressively across Australia. Its initial series of one day seminars, relating to Retarding Basin Fundamentals, was presented in the east coast capitals in April 2013. The presenters comprised members of ANCOLD's Retarding Basin Guidelines working group, namely Richard Rodd, Kelly Maslin and Norm Himsley. The seminars were well received and the Melbourne seminar was taped for future use by ANCOLD in a webinar format.

Further ANCOLD professional development opportunities are planned over the coming year including:

• Two day seminars in early September 2013 on 'Hydrology, Dambreak and Consequence Assessment' involving Wayne Graham from the USA and noted Australian hydrologists under the organisation of David Watson;
• One day short courses on 'Internal erosion and piping of Dams and their Foundations' in mid October 2013 delivered by Professor Robin Fell and Mark Foster;
• Two hour educational programs targeted for Executives, Boards, Ministerial advisers etc are being organised on an ongoing as required basis, by Dennis Green;
• One day seminars on Dam Safety Emergency Planning in early 2014 organised by Angus Paton;
• Various seminars and short courses on river management and dam operator issues over the coming year organised by Joe Davis;
• One day short courses on Basic Dam Design Fundamentals in early 2014 organised by Paul Heinrichs;
• One day short courses on Tailings Dams Design and Management in April 2014 organised by Norm Himsley; and
• Workshops / Short Courses on Spillways, Outlets and Associated Mechanical and Electrical Matters in mid 2014 organised by Marius Jonkers and Brian Cooper.

In addition, the group is in the process of making the SEED training course, that has previously been run by ANCOLD, available as on-line webinar modules.

As you can see our group has ambitious targets and I would like to thank them for their commitment and efforts, and also encourage everybody to support ANCOLD's endeavours by attending these upcoming events. Keep your eyes peeled to the ANCOLD website or e-news for details as they become available.

Norm Himsley

Chair, ANCOLD Professional Development Working Group

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Cotter Dam

Cotter Dam - Author: John Dymke

The construction of the new 87m high RCC Cotter Dam being undertaken by ACTEW and the Bulk Water Alliance* is nearing completion with the final concrete placement on the dam due to be completed in early July. Read more>> 

Scrivener Dam - Author: Christian Leah  

News from Tasmania - Chris Topham 

Rowallan Dam - new valve

Rowallan Dam - Author: Brian Daws

Rowallan Dam is part of the Mersey Forth Power Development and is located in the head waters of the Mersey River. Rowallan Dam is a 43m high structure comprising two earth and rockfill embankments either side of a free overflow concrete spillway. The dam was built in the 1960s and impounds Lake Rowallan in the upper reaches of the Mersey River. Lake Rowallan is the main storage for the Mersey Forth Power Development, with a 'High A' consequence category. Read more>>

News from Victoria - Mark Arnold 

Loombah Dam

Loombah Dam - Author: Peter Buchanan

Loombah Dam is 13.5 m high central concrete core wall rock fill dam located on Ryan's creek, approximately 25 km south east of Benalla, Victoria.  The dam is one of two dams on Ryan;' creek forming the storages for the Benalla Water Supply.The Storage is operated by North East Water.  The original spillway consisted of unlined excavated channel through the right abutment of the embankment.  The right hand side of the spillway is a near vertical face of rock, approximately 15 m high. Read more>> 

 

 

News from WA - Bob Wark 

Kununurra Diversion Dam

Kununurra Diversion Dam - Author Bob Wark 

The Kununurra Diversion Dam is in the final year of a gate refurbishment programme that has seen four of the 20 gates repainted each year. Gates 6 and 13 were undergoing treatment during the annual site inspection in June 2013. Read more>> 

 

Samson Brook Dam Remedial Works - Author: Bob Wark

The start-up of the Stage 2 remedial works at Samson Brook was one of the sites inspected during the post conference tour through the south west in 2013. The start-up had been delayed due to problems with releasing water from the storage and this has impacted on the works programme since that time. The dam is a pug core earthfill dam some 32 m high with a glory hole spillway. The remedial works are being undertaken in three stages. Read more>> 

 

Pinwernying Dam Remedial Works - Author: Bob Wark 

The majority of the works are complete. There is some general tidying up to do including stone pitching for berm and toe drains. Commissioning activities are scheduled for Wednesday 26th June 2013. See more>> 

  

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