Major Projects
Enlarged Cotter Dam
With droughts tipped to be longer, drier and more frequent ACTEW Corporation is working to increase the ACT region’s sources of water. The Enlarged Cotter Dam project is one component of the Water Security – Major Projects, a suite of water security infrastructure initiatives that are now being delivered by ACTEW Corporation.
What is the Enlarged Cotter Dam project?
This project involves building an enlarged dam wall downstream of the existing one to increase the Cotter Dam’s capacity from the current 4 gigalitres (GL) to around 78 GL; a 20 fold increase.
ACTEW Corporation and ActewAGL have formed an alliance with three companies to design and construct the dam: GHD, Abigroup and John Holland.
Why is it needed?
The Enlarged Cotter Dam forms part of ACTEW's continued response to secure water supplies for the ACT region's increasing population and to address the drought, climate change and variability.
What effects will the new dam have on the environment?
One of the main advantages of the Enlarged Cotter Dam is that its environmental impact will be minimised. This is because it will be constructed in an already impacted area by the existing reservoir, land that was badly impacted by the 2003 fires and previous forestry plantations.
Protection of the environment is integral to the project.
The dam design includes measures to protect fish populations, particularly to allow migration upstream for the endangered Macquarie Perch. Further fish studies are currently underway which will provide vital knowledge to protecting sustainable populations of the endangered aquatic species upstream of the dam into the future.
What will happen to the Cotter recreation precinct?
The recreation area around the Cotter Dam, known as the Cotter Precinct, has held an important place in the hearts of many generations of ACT residents. ACTEW has invited the community to participate in the planning of future enhancements of the precinct.
The Enlarged Cotter Dam project has some significant opportunities to coincide the dam construction activities with remediation to the Cotter precinct.
The community is invited to participate in the planning of the regeneration, and opportunities to become involved will be advertised in local media and directly to community groups. Alternatively you can join the Friends of the Cotter community group to be kept up to date with the latest information on the Cotter precinct.
How long will the project take?
The Enlarged Cotter Dam is expected to take three years to build. Planning and approvals processes are underway and construction is expected to commence in 2009.
Learn more about what ACTEW is doing to protect the environment when enlarging the Cotter Dam here.
Learn more about ACTEW's attempts to establish artificial fish habitats in the Cotter Reservoir here.