Chichester Dam
Dam wall and Picnic areas publicly accessible
As of Monday 25 March 2024, public access to Chichester Dam is open.
Accessible areas include the dam wall, the 'middle' carpark and picnic facilities next to the dam wall, and the upper picnic area.
The lower car park and picnic area will remain closed.
Some work to finish our recent project to improve the performance and reliability of our water infrastructure will continue, but this will not impact visitors’ access.
Thank you for your patience and understanding while we complete the work.
Constructed between 1915 and 1926, Chichester Dam was the first dedicated drinking water storage system to the Lower Hunter, and to this day is considered one of the most pristine catchments in Australia.
Located at the top of the Williams River catchment, it contributes around 35 per cent of the Lower Hunter’s potable water supply.
| Chichester Dam | |
|---|---|
| Catchment area | 199km2 |
| Dam volume | 18,356ML (1ML = 1 million litres) |
| Maximum depth | 37 metres |
| Surface area | 180 hectares |
| Annual rainfall | 1300mm (Upper Chichester) |
| Areas supplied | Lower Hunter, approx 35% of volume |
| Land use breakdown of catchment | 76% National Park, 17% rural, 7% Hunter Water freehold |
Our current storage levels
Our water levels drop faster than most other major Australian urban centres during hot, dry periods because we have shallow water storages and high evaporation rates.
The catchment
Chichester Dam is located 80 kilometres north of Newcastle at the south-eastern corner of the World Heritage listed Barrington Tops National Park.
Water from Chichester Dam receives some treatment onsite and is then transported via a gravity pipe to Dungog, where it is further treated at the Dungog Water Treatment Plant. Approximately half of the flow from Chichester is supplied to Maitland, Cessnock and Beresfield areas. The balance gravitates further to Newcastle, where it blends with water from the Grahamstown Water Treatment Plant. Because water is fed by gravity from Chichester, it requires the lowest energy input of all sources. Water supply from Chichester Dam is used as much as possible for this reason.
The dam is fed by the Wangat River to the north and Chichester River to the north-west.
- The Wangat River’s catchment is entirely vegetated and pristine. There is very little recreational activity in this catchment because of its difficult terrain. The Wangat catchment has been deemed by an expert panel to represent the lowest risk of pollution to drinking water.
- Chichester River’s catchment is partially cleared for agricultural and rural residential land use. Land parcel size is small to medium for a rural area. There has been an increase in holdings of hobby farms and holiday accommodation due to the region’s beauty and relative isolation. There is no intensive agriculture in the catchment.
There is high run-off from the area due to the abundant rainfall and the large catchment area. Hence, the dam is filled quickly following medium to heavy rainfall.
How it works
- A gravitation main transports water from the dam to the major city reservoirs in Maitland, Cessnock and Newcastle.
- Water from Chichester Dam is dosed with chlorine at the dam and then transported via a gravity pipe to Dungog, where it is further treated at the Dungog Water Treatment Plant.
- Hunter Water has increased environmental flow releases from Chichester Dam into the Williams River to manage and minimise environmental impacts. These flows help sustain natural ecosystems along the Chichester River.
Chichester Dam risk assessment report
As part of our commitment as a responsible dam owner, in 2023 Hunter Water completed a five-yearly risk assessment to inform our 15-yearly safety review for Chichester Dam. Click below to learn more about the assessment and its findings.
Restrictions
As the dam is a drinking water supply source for the Hunter Region, there are restrictions in place for visitors, including:
- No dogs, horses or other pets within the picnic area
- No swimming or entering the waters
- No boating or fishing
- No camping or staying overnight. Camping and other accommodation options are available nearby. For more information, refer to the Dungog Visitor Information Centre
Penalties
The penalties for non-compliance and further information can be found on the Public access to dams and catchments page.