Dams in the ACT region

Water not required for immediate demand from the Cotter and Bendora catchment areas is transferred to the Googong dam, as the Googong dam is larger and tends to receive less rainfall.

There are four dams that store water for the ACT region – Cotter, Bendora, Corin, and Googong.

Cotter Dam

Cotter Dam was constructed in 1912 to serve the needs of the Canberra people during the city establishment years. Water was pumped from Cotter Dam to Mount Stromlo, where it flowed by gravity to service reservoirs. The height of the dam was increased in 1951 to meet the needs of Canberra's growing population. In the 1950s the Cotter storage could not hold enough water to cope with a drought, and a second dam further up the Cotter River was built.

Learn more about Cotter Dam

Bendora Dam

Bendora Dam was finished in 1961 and, as it was higher, water could now flow by gravity to Mount Stromlo Water Treatment Plant (WTP), avoiding the high cost of pumping. The Bendora gravity main was constructed in 1967.

Learn more about Bendora Dam

Corin Dam

A third dam, Corin Dam, was completed in 1968. Water stored in Corin, the highest dam in the Cotter River system, is released into the Cotter River thereby controlling the level of storage in Bendora Dam.

Learn more about Corin Dam

Googong Dam

Population projections showed that by 1979 the Cotter River system would not be able to cope with the demand for water. A new dam was required and, after extensive investigations, a site was selected on the Queanbeyan River. Googong Dam was constructed.

Learn more about Googong Dam