High Country Life

The Dartmouth Dam is a rock-fill embankment dam with an uncontrolled chute spillway designed to cover Gibbo, Dart and Mitta Mitta Rivers as well as several of their distributaries and Morass Creek. Additionally, there is also a regulating pond called Banimboola Pondage as well as an associated hydroelectric power station located here.

It serves many functions, from acting as a drought reserve, managing releases for irrigation and environmental water needs, to providing power to the national grid.

1. The Walk

Dartmouth Dam in Victoria, Australia is an impressive sight. When at its full capacity it becomes Australia’s highest structure and largest storage in the Murray system; constructed of concrete with an impressive 180-metre crest height above its dam wall. When full capacity has been reached water is released over its crest through a rock cascade; at this time tourists visit Dartmouth township to catch a glimpse of this spectacular sight.

The walk around the crest of the dam is free and open to all people – prams and wheelchairs included. With a paved surface allowing walkers to view both its “discharge” and “storage” sides, visitors can get an exciting view.

Discover how this significant dam operates and understand its role in water management across north-eastern Victoria. It captures high quality alpine waters from Mitta Mitta River and its tributaries for use as a supplement release from Lake Hume during dry periods as well as increasing supplies to Murray River during wetter spells.

After taking a short walk to the dam, visitors can follow the main trail to Lake Serene. This scenic 7.2-mile round-trip hike features an elevation gain of 2,000 feet. Along its path are beautiful landscapes and ecosystems such as maple and fir forests, draped mosses and even huckleberries during certain months!

Hikers can also take an optional side trail to Bridal Veil Falls, which are a series of large and small cascades flowing over exposed granite walls into a misty cloud. The trail to Lake Dwellers requires fitness and endurance. Be mindful when travelling alone – some sections may close due to adverse weather conditions! Bring water as the trail could close without notice!

MDBA General Manager Assets, Angus Paton, stated “Dartmouth Dam is an iconic Australian landmark and highly esteemed recreational and cultural destination, as well as playing an essential role in drought protection, flood mitigation and power generation. Dartmouth Dam forms an integral component of Australia’s infrastructure so its preservation should be prioritized.”

2. The View

Since 1987, no one has witnessed the spectacular cascades of water coming down Dartmouth Dam’s spillway – and this week they returned with full force! GMW dam keeper Peter Liepkalns described them as an amazing spectacle.

At over 180 metres high, Mitta Mitta Dam in north east Victoria casts an imposing shadow over its tiny township of Mitta Mitta in northern east Victoria. As Australia’s tallest structure of its type and with storage capacity for 4 million ML of high quality water at capacity.

The dam serves several key purposes; chief among them is drought prevention. Additionally, its flood management capabilities help provide supplies for the Murray River system and maintain sustainable agriculture production. As indicators point towards an increasingly dry climate, its role becomes even more essential in keeping our food bowl, communities, and economy strong.

Management of such an extensive reservoir is no small undertaking. MDBA’s team of asset managers collaborate closely with GMW’s maintenance staff in coordinating releases, conducting safety inspections and planning for both routine and unscheduled maintenance – no small feat considering that the Dam holds over 40% of total storage capacity of River Murray system.

Mitta Valley is an idyllic destination all year long, featuring cycling trails, fishing in lakes and rivers, camping facilities and various accommodation options in Tallangatta, Mitta Mitta, Eskdale and Dartmouth towns. Perfect for getaways or exploring High Country in Autumn when colours are at their vibrant best!

The Mighty Mitta Muster takes place each Labour Day Weekend in Mitta Mitta township with rodeo, dog jump, car and bike displays, stalls and sideshows. Visitors are welcome to view the dam just minutes from Mitta Mitta – with car parking on both sides of Horsfall Dartmouth Road near its information centre – its construction, operation of power station as well as visitors taking tours around its construction and operation via its information centre located nearby on Horsfall Dartmouth Rds.

3. The Fish

Lake Serene’s picturesque setting aside, Lake Serene offers another draw for your consideration: fish. This alpine lake teems with trout and other high-altitude dwellers that present anglers from novice to veteran an exciting challenge when fishing here.

Brook trout are particularly favored fish here, typically measuring 10-12 inches and weighing one or two pounds. Brown and lake trout species also populate this high-altitude waterway.

Dartmouth Dam can store almost 4,000,000 megalitres (ML) when fully filled, and stands as Australia’s highest structure of its type. Operated by Goulburn-Murray Water on behalf of Murray-Darling Basin Authority and built between 1973 and 1979 by Victorian Rural Water Commission – an predecessor organization to MDBA – Dartmouth is managed and maintained by Goulburn Murray Water, operating it on behalf of MDBA and Goulburn-Murray Water as part of their service contract agreement.

This reservoir stores high-quality alpine water flowing from Mitta Mitta Creek and its tributaries, providing irrigation water to farmlands in Victoria and New South Wales, as well as additional supplies during drought periods when releases from Lake Hume are reduced.

Hydroelectric power station situated adjacent to Victoria Dam produces up to 330 million kilowatt-hours annually for Victoria residents, operating the dam at 99.995% capacity to minimize flood risk while maximising hydro-power generation.

Spillway cascades are an impressive site to behold, especially during September and December when the dam is full and overflowing. At these times, boating and house boating are prohibited but visitors can still take advantage of viewing platforms, seating areas and picnic facilities arranged around the dam site.

If you want to gain more insight into dam operations, GMW’s Dartmouth Dam office on Horsfall and Dartmouth Roads offers a Visitor Centre which contains all manner of information regarding the dam itself; its history, construction process, maps and resources available here.

Mitta Mitta serves as the gateway to the high country with accommodation options, general store services and a renowned country pub. Each March brings life and vibrancy with the Mighty Mitta Muster event featuring stockman’s challenges, horse racing events, woodchop competitions and sideshows – an annual tradition!

4. The Water

The thunderous sound of water cascading down a dam spillway is hard to miss. We last witnessed this happening 26 years ago – an all-time record since construction of the dam started in 1973 and finished in 1979. While this spectacular sight may delight visitors, its significance extends much further: every time this occurs means that its power station cannot operate at full capacity and therefore residents downstream must bear extra costs as their utilities must reduce power usage due to reduced capacity at the dam itself.

Victoria’s High Country relies on alpine sources of freshwater for daily needs and this infrastructure plays a critical role in water management.

Goulburn-Murray Water operates Dartmouth Dam for Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA). At full storage capacity, this 4 million megalitre dam serves to save water during wetter periods in case of future drought conditions.

Serene Lakes community features year-round residents as well as vacation home rentals, with two lakes – Lake Serena and Dulzura – located within its boundaries, Lake Serena being used exclusively as water supply, while Dulzura allows all forms of aquatic recreation including fishing and windsurfing.

Near the dam is a public viewing platform, landscaping and seating that provide an ideal place to sit back and watch it operate in its scenic alpine setting. There are information displays and public toilets nearby as well as dog access (pets must remain on leashes at all times). Dogs are allowed at this facility but must always remain leashed.

Lakes in this region are surrounded by numerous hiking trails and make a wonderful destination for fishing, sailing and paddle-boating activities. Their inviting crystal blue waters make summer fun memorable; while winter’s reliable freezing temperatures provide ideal conditions for ice skating and other forms of snow sports activities.