FAQ
Your Questions
Answered
The current concept is to build a 7.6 km zoned earth filled embankment adjacent to the Flinders River on Saego Station and make use of the natural topography of surrounding basalt plateau to create a water storage with a capacity in the order of 161,000 ML. Water will be taken from this storage and delivered to an irrigation precinct area of 11,000 ha. By end of the next decade the project is expected to stimulate the development of more than 20,000 ha of good agricultural land in the region, similar to what has happened at St George and Emerald.
Go to Project Details page for more details and location map.
How many megalitres of water will Saego Dam hold?
161,000 ML
How many megalitres will be provided for irrigation purposes?
The 161,000 ML storage will support a water yield of up to 74,000 ML/year of medium priority water (at 80% monthly reliability) or up to 32,000 ML/year of high priority water (at 97.6% monthly reliability). The DBC has assumed that ultimately there is likely to be a mix of these two water products in the proposed scheme comprising of around 33,000 ML/year of medium priority water to irrigate 3,000 ha of cereal grains, hay, and fodder crops and around 18,000 ML/year of high priority agricultural water to irrigate 1,800 ha of high value horticultural crops.
Will environmental flows within the Flinders River downstream of Saego Dam be impacted?
The scheme will be operated to allow a proportion of natural flows in the Flinders River to pass the diversion weir to sustain the needs of the environment and water users downstream of the project. The project will comply with the Environmental Flow Objectives specified in the Gulf Water Plan.
What is the proposed Full Supply Level of Saego Dam?
265.1 AHD
What is the maximum depth of Water in proposed Saego Dam?
The maximum depth of water in Saego Dam is 16.1 m when the dam is at the FSL of 265.1m.
What is HIPCo’s current scope of work?
Delivery of the Detailed Business Case (DBC) to State and Federal Governments by mid-March 2022 for their review. Then address any concerns raised, so that the DBC can be finalised this financial year. In parallel, HIPCo will commence some of the pre-construction activities to progress the project, such as development of an Initial Advice Statement (IAS), engagement with key stakeholders to define a delivery strategy, submitting a tender to secure water rights and more.
When will construction commence?
If HIPCo is successful with its tender for securing the required water rights, then pre-construction activities will continue in 2023 and 2024, to take the project to a “Shovel Ready” status in late 2024. Depending on funding commitments by State and Federal Government, construction may commence in 2025.
Is the dam planned to be used for recreational purposes?
Yes. It is envisaged that people will be able to fish, swim, boat and water ski on the water.