Talbingo Dam, Embankment dam in Snowy Mountains, Australia

Talbingo Dam is a large embankment structure built across the Tumut River that stands over 160 meters tall and extends for about 700 meters. The structure holds back water in a sizable reservoir that supplies electricity generation and supports downstream operations.

The dam was completed in the early 1970s as part of a massive hydroelectric scheme that took decades to build across the mountain region. The project shaped how water and electricity would be managed across the southeast for generations to come.

Talbingo Reservoir is stocked with brown trout, rainbow trout, golden perch, Macquarie perch, redfin and trout cod, and power boating is permitted. Camping is allowed within Kosciuszko National Park around the reservoir. The concrete inlet structure at the reservoir edge is often mistaken by visitors for the dam itself.

The dam sits within a large mountain park and is accessible by road, though visitors should plan for lengthy travel to reach this remote location. Several vantage points around the structure offer views of the reservoir and access to outdoor activities.

The concrete inlet structure at the reservoir's edge, built midway between the dam wall and the spillway, is often mistaken by visitors for the main dam because it is far more conspicuous from the access road. Water reaches the Tumut 3 power station through six large pressure pipes, one for each turbine.