Ord River Dam

The Ord River Dam was opened officially in 1972
The 98.5 metre-high dam wall comprises an earth-filled impervious core to allow a degree of movement and flexibility (as it is built on a fault line), and is surrounded on both sides by rockfill. Almost all of the dam construction used locally available resources, from a quarry near the far side of the dam wall – making it relatively cheap to build ($22m). Thanks to some above average rainfall wet seasons during and shortly after construction, the new Lake Argyle filled to capacity in 1973. Lake Argyle is about 70 kms long and 40 kms wide, and it’s current level is the equivalent of about 11 Sydney Harbours (although, if at full supply level, would be almost double that capacity!).

Ord River Hydro Power Station
Three tubes , two being used and they get rotated. Each tube processes 35000t per second of water and the station powers nearby towns Kununurra, Lake Argyle and Wyndham. When the Diamond mine was active three tubes were in operation.
The rocks used in the dam were supply by the mountains surrounding the dam , by one of the biggest explosions on record that could be felt 3000km away in Sydney.Read more