Suma Park Dam, Arch dam near Orange, Australia

Suma Park Dam is an arch dam near Orange that spans across the Summer Hill Creek valley. The concrete structure creates a large reservoir that supplies drinking water to the surrounding region.

The dam was built in 1962 when Orange needed a new drinking water source to replace Lake Canobolas. This arch construction marked the beginning of a modern water supply system for the city.

The reservoir is a potable water supply for Orange, so swimming, fishing and boating are not allowed. Its name, Suma Park, is shared with the dam and reservoir, and the site is checked by Orange City Council through regular surveillance and dam safety inspections.

The reservoir is accessible from local tracks that run along the water level and offer different viewpoints. Visitors should be prepared for changing weather conditions, especially when water is being released.

The spillway is uncontrolled: it has no gates, so once the reservoir passes full supply level water flows out on its own. Its 62-metre width is built to pass 260 cubic metres per second, and the dam did overflow in 2005 and again in 2010.