Lake Margaret (Tasmania) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Margaret |
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 Location in Tasmania
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| Country | Australia |
| Location | West Coast, Tasmania |
| Coordinates | 42°00′S 145°32′E / 42.000°S 145.533°E |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1918 |
| Owner(s) | Hydro Tasmania |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity dam |
| Impounds | Yolande River |
| Height (foundation) | 17 m (56 ft) |
| Length | 243 m (797 ft) |
| Dam volume | 6,000 m3 (210,000 cu ft) |
| Spillways | 1 |
| Spillway type | Uncontrolled |
| Spillway capacity | 29 m3/s (1,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Margaret |
| Catchment area | 21 km2 (8.1 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 170 ha (420 acres) |
| Normal elevation | 660 m (2,170 ft) AHD |
| Power station | |
| Name | Lake Margaret Power Station |
| Operator(s) | Hydro Tasmania |
| Commission date |
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| Decommission date |
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| Type | Conventional |
| Turbines |
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| Installed capacity |
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| Annual generation | 48 GWh (170 TJ) |
Lake Margaret is a concrete-faced gravity dam with an uncontrolled spillway across the Yolande River, located on the north side of Mount Sedgwick, in the West Coast Range, West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.
The impounded reservoir is also called Lake Margaret.
The dam was constructed in 1918 by the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company for the purpose of generating hydro-electric power via the Lake Margaret Power Station, which is located below the dam wall. Following the closure of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company, in 1985 the control of the dam, lake, and power station was transferred to Hydro Tasmania.
Contents
Dam
The dam was completed in 1918. It was the first gravity dam constructed in Tasmania and was built of concrete with conglomerate "plums". The dam was 17 metres high, had a length of 243 metres, and the wall has a volume of 6,000 cubic metres. In 1974 it was strengthened by the use of prestressed anchors and grouting of open joints.
Power scheme
A hydroelectric Lake Margaret Power Station and a townsite with the same name have been constructed. The purpose was to power the nearby mine and community surrounding the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company that was based in Queenstown. In the 1990s the HEC took over the operations.
Location
The lake lies just east of Mount Cyril (797m), and south of Mount Geikie (1191m) in the West Coast Range. Mount Sedgwick is to the south. The Bastion (1107M) north of Mount Geikie and Farquhar Lookout (935m) define a rough line of the northern part of the catchment area.
Catchment area
Numerous smaller lakes - some named and some not, lie above the location of the lake. The vesting of the catchment with the current operator of the hydro electric power station, makes the two feeder parts of the catchment specific Hydro land in contrast to the surrounding landscape which is either in the Tyndall Regional Reserve or the Lake Beatrice Conservation Area
The two southern feeder Hydro reserves start from the slopes of Mount Sedgwick- the westerly from Lake Barnables (less than 1 kilometre east of Lake Margaret, then to Lake Phillip. The eastern feeder starts at an 'Unnamed lake', to 'Lake Polycarp', 'Lake Peter', 'Lake Paul', 'Lake Apolllos' and then to Lake Phillip.
The northern feeder starts from Lake Monica, Lake Myra, then Lake Magdala (782 metres), Lake Martha (757 metres), and lastly Lake Mary (732 metres), before flowing into Lake Margaret ( 660 metres)
The larger lower altitude natural lake of the area lies to the south east side of Mount Sedgwick and is known as Lake Beatrice.
Yolande River
The outflow from the Lake Margaret dam is into the Yolande River which further west joins with the Langdon River, another West Coast Range west flowing river, to join with the Henty River west of the Zeehan Highway.
