Guthega Dam, Gravity dam in Snowy Mountains, Australia

Guthega Dam is a concrete structure that spans across the Snowy River in the highlands of New South Wales. The dam holds back water to supply the adjacent power station, which uses the flow to generate electricity through its turbine system.

The dam was completed in 1955 as the first major project finished in the Snowy Mountains Scheme, Australia's hydroelectric development program. This completion marked a turning point in how the country would harness river power for energy production.

The dam's name comes from the nearby Guthega river, one of the waterways feeding its 91-square-kilometre catchment along with Pounds Creek, Farm Creek and the upper Snowy River. Construction crews of the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Authority lived and worked in this remote valley while the wall rose between 1951 and 1955.

The site sits at a high elevation in mountain terrain and is best visited during the drier months of the year. Visitors should bring warm clothes and sturdy footwear, as weather can change quickly and trails can be rough.

Guthega was the first of sixteen major dams completed for the Snowy Mountains Scheme, finished in 1955. Its power station, begun in 1951, holds two Francis turbines with English Electric generators and a combined capacity of 60 megawatts, producing a net 172 gigawatt-hours a year. Water reaches the turbines at 28.3 cubic metres per second under a rated head of 246.9 metres.