The days of selecting the technically best site for a dam and then forging ahead with construction are well and truly in the past.

Achieving a balance between societal needs, environmental impacts, economic feasibility, compliance and engineering are essential considerations when siting a dam, according to Tasmanian Irrigation’s Dam Safety Engineer Josh Clark.

“More than ever, major water infrastructure projects need to be developed with a holistic mindset from the outset,” Josh said.

“We need to consider broader project equity aspects including environmental, community, sustainability and longevity considerations.

“The technical elements are then adapted to meet these broader stakeholder requirements. This can be challenging, but the final result is one with far fewer surprises, and stronger stakeholder endorsement.

“This is crucial to a dam project’s success and a vastly different approach to historic methods of choosing the technically best location and going ahead.”

Josh facilitated a webinar for the Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD) that featured perspectives from project management, technical and sustainability perspectives. TI’s General Manager Project Development and Delivery Jacob Gerke joined Entura Technical Director Water Richard Herweynen and Hydropower Sustainability Alliance Lead Assessor Dr Helen Locher in a three-way conversation exploring approaches to contemporary dam design and construction.

Jacob shared valuable insights into the Tasmanian Irrigation’s development process, considering sustainability and longevity, demand and community support, economic outcomes and funding models that ultimately result in approval to design and construct.

Richard emphasised the importance of selecting the right dam for the right application. He said dams are crucial for sustainable development, providing water supply, irrigation, flood control and energy storage.

Helen discussed a variety of tools to help identify sustainability risks early to inform decision making and guide risk mitigation in hydropower projects.

The webinar was part of ANCOLD’s Life of a Dam series, and can be accessed here.