Tumut River

The Tumut River (/ˈtjuːmət/), a perennial stream that is part of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Snowy Mountains and South West Slopes districts of New South Wales, Australia.

Location and features

The Tumut River rises on the northern face of Mount Jagungal in the Snowy Mountains at 1,430 metres (4,690 ft) and flows generally north by west, joined by twelve tributaries including the Doubtful Creek, Happy Jacks Creek and Goobarragandra River before meeting its confluence with the Murrumbidgee River, at Darbalara near the town of Gundagai; descending 1,210 metres (3,970 ft) over its 182-kilometre (113 mi) course.

Between Cabramurra and Tumut, the natural course of the Tumut River has been altered as a result of the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. A series of sixteen major dams and seven hydro-electric power stations were constructed between 1949 and 1974 to harness the flow of the Tumut and Snowy rivers. The Tumut River is impounded by six dams, located at Happy Jacks Dam, Tumut Pond Dam, Tumut Two Dam, Talbingo Dam, Jounama Dam, and Blowering Dam. Four hydro-power stations are located adjacent to the river flow. Although a relatively short river, the natural flow of the Tumut River is quite high, as it drains the snowmelt and other runoff from a large proportion of the northern Snowy Mountains. The natural flow of the river is amplified by water transferred from the Tooma River and Lake Eucumbene by the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

Tumut

Tumut /ˈtjuːmət/ or /ˈtʃuːmət/ is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, situated on the banks of the Tumut River. The name 'Tumut' is derived from an Indigenous name for the area (possibly Wiradjuri) (possibly 'doo-maaht'(?)) a word thought to mean "a quiet resting place by the river".

Prior to European settlement, Tumut and surrounding areas were part of the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri, Ngarigo and Ngunnawal aboriginal peoples. The area's rivers may have been the boundaries or connection-points of these three language groups. During summertime, the high country was a meeting place for tribes, with Bogong moths being an abundant food source in the warmer months. The Traditional Owners are now active in every part of modern Tumut society, making the transition from dispossession and reserve/mission living, to take leading roles in politics, industry, sport and society - while retaining strong connections to country and much traditional knowledge.

Tumut sits on the north-west foothills of the Snowy Mountains and is referred to as the gateway to the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Tumut Shire is administered from offices located in the town. Tumut is approximately 410 kilometres (250 mi) south-west of Sydney and 525 kilometres (330 mi) north-east of Melbourne.

Tumut (disambiguation)

Tumut may refer to several topics:

Tumut Hydroelectric Power Station

Tumut Hydroelectric Power Station /ˈtjuːmət/ is a series of three hydroelectric power stations on the Tumut River in New South Wales, Australia, that are part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

The generating assets of the three Tumut power stations are owned by Snowy Hydro Limited, a company whose shareholders include the governments of Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria. The company is also licensed to manage the water rights used by the power stations.

Stations

Tumut 1 Power Station

Located downstream of Tumut Pond Dam and 366 metres (1,201 ft) below ground level,Tumut 1 Power Station is situated approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south-east of Cabramurra. The conventional hydroelectric power station has four turbine generators, with a generating capacity of 330 megawatts (440,000 hp) of electricity; and a net generation of 847 gigawatt-hours (3,050 TJ) per annum. The power station was completed in 1959, and has 292.6 metres (960 ft) rated head.

The first 330 kV transmission lines were commissioned in New South Wales at the Tumut 1 Power Station during the 1950s. These cables were manufactured in England and linked to the underground transformers at Tumut 1, and connected with the transmission line. The lines carried power to Sydney where new sub-stations were established, to handle the upgrade from 132 kV transmission lines. This innovative plan, which faced significant scepticism initially, was considered to be at the forefront of technology which challenged designers and overseas manufacturers. Extra high voltage was in its infancy in the early 1950s. The lines were subject to a 1000 kV test on the cables prior to them going into service. These cables and the transmission system have been in service for over 50 years.