VIC – Musical Gully Dam Safety Upgrade

Author: Phillip Kennedy.

Dam safety upgrade works are currently underway at Musical Gully Reservoir in Beaufort. The purpose of the works is primarily to reduce the likelihood of dam failure from piping and overtopping and to secure Beaufort’s water supply into the future. The works are based on a full standards based upgrade, including achieving adequate spillway capacity.

The key elements of the dam safety upgrade works are:

1. Raising the embankment crest to allow for freeboard requirements;
2. Installation of full height filter protection with a weighting berm;
3. Decommissioning of the existing spillway chute, installation of a new piped spillway and installation of an energy dissipater;
4. Construction of a new auxiliary spillway; and,
5. Construction of a spoon drain to collect surface water and control runoff at the downstream toe of the embankment.
6. Removal of an inlet pipeline from the dam embankment and relocation to a more appropriate location in natural ground.

Musical Gully Reservoir, situated 6km north of the Beaufort Township, was constructed in 1960 for the purpose of domestic water supply. The dam consists of a 284m long, 12.3m high zoned earthen embankment and has capacity of 228ML.

Central Highlands Water has engaged civil constructors Pipecon Pty Ltd to carry out the works valued at $1.3M. The works are expected to be completed by April 2014.

For more information regarding this project please visit Central Highlands Water’s website: http://www.chw.net.au