Blowering Dam, Embankment dam in Snowy Mountains region, Australia
Blowering Dam is an embankment dam in the Snowy Mountains region of southern New South Wales, built across the Tumut River. The water it holds back forms a long reservoir that stretches through a mountain valley and serves both power generation and irrigation.
Work on the dam started in 1964 and was completed in 1968 as part of the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme, a large postwar infrastructure project. When it was finished, it became one of the key pieces in a network designed to redirect mountain water toward inland farming regions.
The reservoir is popular with fishing communities, and on weekends families gather along its shores to boat, swim, and cook outdoors. The lake has become a natural gathering point for people living in the surrounding valleys.
Several boat ramps and picnic areas are spread around the reservoir, making it easy to explore by water or on foot along the shore. In summer the site gets busy, so arriving early in the day gives you a better chance of finding a good spot.
In 1978 Ken Warby set an absolute water speed record on the reservoir that still stands today, reaching a speed that no one has matched since. He built his boat himself in his backyard before making the record run on this stretch of water.
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