Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme
Quick Summary
The Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme is a major engineering project in southeastern New South Wales, Australia, constructed between 1949 and 1974. It is located in the Snowy Mountains, which are part of the Australian Alps and include Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's highest peak.1
The scheme diverts water from rivers like the Snowy, Murray, and Murrumbidgee through aqueducts and tunnels. This water is used for both electricity generation and irrigation. The project includes 16 dams and several reservoirs, with a power capacity of 3,740 megawatts. While initially celebrated, environmental concerns have led to discussions about returning some of the Snowy River's natural flow.12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
- Lake Eucumbene
…major storage facility of the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme, in the Eastern Highlands, New South Wales, 55 miles (88 km) southwest of Canberra. Its dam (completed 1958), fed by the Eucumbene (see photograph), Upper Murrumbidgee, and Snowy rivers, is 381 feet (116 m) high. The river waters are conveyed to…
Read More…major storage facility of the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme, in the Eastern Highlands, New South Wales, 55 miles (88 km) southwest of Canberra. Its dam (completed 1958), fed by the Eucumbene (see photograph), Upper Murrumbidgee, and Snowy rivers, is 381 feet (116 m) high. The river waters are conveyed to…
Read More
Murrumbidgee River…as part of the complex Snowy Mountains irrigation-hydroelectric development scheme. Important valley towns include Canberra (the federal capital), Yass, Wagga Wagga, Narrandera, Hay, and Balranald.
Read More…as part of the complex Snowy Mountains irrigation-hydroelectric development scheme. Important valley towns include Canberra (the federal capital), Yass, Wagga Wagga, Narrandera, Hay, and Balranald.
Read More- Tumut River
…a major part of the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Project. Its upper reaches are impounded to create Tumut Pond Reservoir, which also receives water from the Tooma Reservoir on the Tooma River. Water can also be diverted back and forth between Tumut Pond and Lake Eucumbene through a 14-mile- (23-kilometre-) long…
Read More…a major part of the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Project. Its upper reaches are impounded to create Tumut Pond Reservoir, which also receives water from the Tooma Reservoir on the Tooma River. Water can also be diverted back and forth between Tumut Pond and Lake Eucumbene through a 14-mile- (23-kilometre-) long…
Read More




