Clyde Dam
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Clydedam_large.jpg
Clydedam_large.jpg
The Clyde Dam
The Clyde Dam is New Zealand's largest hydroelectric dam and was built along the Clutha River, near the town of Clyde.
There was a lot of controversy when the dam was planned, as to whether it was needed, and also because it would flood many houses and orchards upstream at Cromwell. The dam went ahead, creating Lake Dunstan, and the power station has a capacity of 445 MW.
During construction, the adjacent rock was discovered to be microfractured, because of an earthquake faultline. A large amount of slurry cement was pumped into the rock to stop water leaks. This additional work was one reason for a major project cost over-run, which made the dam the most expensive in New Zealand.