Scrivener Dam to get needed upgrade

The Liberal-National Government has provided the National Capital Authority (NCA) $38.5 million in funding in the 2022-23 Budget over four years to undertake renewal works for Scrivener Dam. The works will primarily involve the strengthening of the dissipator structure of the Dam to ensure structural integrity that will extend the life of the dam for another 100 years.

Scrivener Dam controls the water level in Lake Burley Griffin. The spillway includes the dissipator structure responsible for absorbing the energy of the water flowing over the flood gates. It prevents potentially damaging erosion in the river channel downstream of the dam.

The dam is owned and managed by the NCA on behalf of the Commonwealth Government. It was built in the 1960s in conjunction with a series of lake walls and bridges that were specifically designed to create Lake Burley Griffin, the centrepiece of the National Capital. It acts to maintain the integrity of the lake and the city by controlling water levels at a consistent rate. These controlled water levels, in turn, protect the residents of Canberra from flooding and downstream users from unregulated flows and impacts.

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