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Four Springs Dam Gets a Facelift
Work commissioned by the Inland Fisheries Service to protect the dam wall against erosion at Four Springs Lake was undertaken last week.
Reinfocing the dam wall against erosion
Work commissioned by the Inland Fisheries Service to protect the dam wall against erosion at Four Springs Lake was undertaken last week.
Long term erosion on the face of the dam wall accentuated last Spring due to high lake levels and increased rainfall, and the Tasmanian Fly Fishers Club approached the Service to assist in addressing the problems. After a site visit in November, the Service decided to leave the earthworks until summer months when the lake level had lowered sufficiently to access the dam face.
Four Springs Lake is a recreational fishery of high value to Service as well as many northern anglers who regularly fish there. The fishery was created originally by the angling community for anglers, and it has been managed according to this vision by joint stakeholders including the original landowners, Forestry, fishing clubs and the Service.
The Service agreed to fund the current construction and contracted Lloyds North Pty Ltd to do the work last Tuesday 2 February. Using two excavators and a loader, the contractors reshaped the dam face with a gently sloping batter, reinforcing it with good cobblestone dolerite rock to below the water level and double coating the surface for the full length of the affected area. The spillway area was also shaped so that the contours provide for the original levels and functionality.
The result of the refacing work on the dam wall should give it long term protection against water as well as wind erosion during periods of low water levels.
The Service would like to thank Jim Ferrier of the Tasmanian Fly Fishers Club for his assistance with the project, and Phil Austin from Lloyds North who managed the excellent construction work.
