Kangaroo Creek Dam Upgrade
During 2015-2019 SA Water upgraded the Kangaroo Creek Dam.
Kangaroo Creek Dam is a concrete face rockfill dam with a side channel spillway; it is located
on the River Torrens (near Castambul) about 22km north east of Adelaide, South Australia, and
was originally constructed between 1966-69 to provide additional storage for Adelaide’s
metropolitan water supply.
The upgrade ensured that the dam complied with ANCOLD (Australian National Committee on Large Dams)
standards.

Construction began in late 2015, and was completed by November 2019.
The work widened the spillway, raised the wall and strengthened the wall embankment.
The upgrades will also help manage major floods and increase the dam's ability to withstand earthquakes.
However it does not increase the dam’s capacity, as the spillway height
remains unchanged.
SA Water plans minor revegetation for the site in April 2020, which will include hydroseeding
of the location of the construction site compound.
Contractor Bardavcol Pty Ltd
Contract Value $78,513,994
Completion Date September 2018
Project Description
Major safety upgrade to the existing concrete lined rock fill dam to meet ANCOLD requirements
Excavation of 300,000m3 of rock to widen the spillway by up to 40m
Extension of the outlet tunnel and pipe work by approximately 50m
Buttressing of the existing rock fill embankment (200,000m3)
Raising of the embankment crest including extension of the concrete face slab using slip form
techniques
Significant concrete works (32,000m3) to line the spillway including temperature sensitive mass
pours and ogee crest construction
Construction of post tensioned anchors to the existing ogee crest
Electrical, SCADA and security works
The final cost of the upgrade was $94 million. Source SA Water
Kangaroo Creek Dam Spillway - August 2018
The Spillway is being widened by 40 metres.
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Spillway - September 2010
During the upgrade the Spillway will be widened by 40 metres.
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa
2010)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Spillway - August 2018
The Spillway is being widened by 40 metres.
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa 2018)
Strengthening of embankment downstream of the dam wall
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa 2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Wall and Spillway
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Wall and Spillway
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Wall and Spillway
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Wall
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Wall and Spillway
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Spillway
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Wall and Spillway
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Reservoir
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Wall Embankment
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Wall Embankment
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Wall Embankment
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Spillway
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Embankment
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Embankment
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Wall
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Spillway
September 2018
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - September
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam
20
th May 2018
Working on the widening of the spillway.
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa 2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam embankment - 20
th May 2018
Working on the widening of the spillway.
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa 2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam embankment - 20
th May 2018
Working on the widening of the spillway.
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa 2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Spillway - August 2018
The Spillway is being widened by 40 metres.
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa 2018)

Strengthening of embankment downstream
of the dam wall.
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa 2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam - 20
th March 2018
Rock material from next to spillway used to strengthen
the existing embankment downstream of the dam wall.
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa 2018)
Kangaroo Creek Reservoir - August 2018.
Batchelor's Bridge is completely submerged once again.
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa 2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam - 20
th May 2018
The embankment strengthened.
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Spillway - August 2018
The Spillway is being widened by 40 metres.
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa
2018)
Kangaroo Creek Dam - May 2017
Widening of the Spillway continues.
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa
2017)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Spillway - August 2019
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa
2019)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Spillway - August 2019
.
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa
2019)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Embankment and Spillway - August 2019
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa
2019)
Dam wall - August 2019
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa
2019)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Wall - August 2019
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa
2019)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Wall - August 2019
.
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa
2019)
Kangaroo Creek Dam Wall - August 2019
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa
2019)
Kangaroo Creek Dam - August 2019
(Photo (©) - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa
2019)
Kangaroo Creek Dam
Upgrade completed December 2019
(Photo SA Water - Peg & Bill Chartres' collection - circa
2020)