Burrendong Dam
A popular recreation destination
DAM LEVEL
62%
CAPACITY
1,154GL
SIZE OF LAKE
72 KM2
Burrendong Dam is a popular inland sport and recreation destination, offering year-round attractions for water sports and fishing enthusiasts, nature lovers, bushwalkers, campers and picnickers. The lake foreshores are home to two holiday parks, an arboretum, and a popular NSW Sport and Recreation Centre. The main purpose of the dam is to supply irrigation, stock and household needs in the Macquarie Valley, and environmental flows to the Macquarie Marshes.
Dam fact sheet (PDF, 550.24 KB)
Lookout points
Dam wall
Walk across the dam wall for views of the lake and basin. The rock embankment wall is 1.1 kilometres long and 78 metres high.
Tobin Centre
The Tobin Centre at Reflections Holiday Parks Lake Burrendong offers panoramic views of the lake and basin. It’s also a function centre for conferences and weddings.
HOURS - Entry is free
- Open 24 hours for pedestrian access
- Vehicle access 7:30am – 4:00pm Mon to Fri, excluding public holidays
- No vehicle access across the main wall but you can walk or cycle
TOP SAFETY TIPS
- Wear a life jacket
- Supervise your children
- Look out for underwater hazards
- Keep a safe distance when boating
- Follow all algae alerts
Learn more about safety at our sites.
REPORT A HAZARD OR INCIDENT
Please phone 1800 061 069
In an emergency call 000
We’re the people taking care of the state’s water at the source – capturing, storing, delivering. Learn more about WaterNSW.
Boat ramps
Camping
Children’s Playground
Picnic Shelters
Shower facilities
Toilets
Visitor centre
Things to do
Stay
There are several accommodation options from cabins to powered and unpowered camping sites in the local area.
Water sports
The lake is available for a range of water sports including skiing, jet skis, sailing, canoeing and swimming. Several public boat ramps are available at the Reflections Holiday Parks and they cater for day visitors at a charge. Please note: There is no access to the lake via the WaterNSW boat ramp.
Lake Burrendong Sport and Recreation club also offers activities and experiences for school, family and corporate groups.
Fishing
Fishing at Lake Burrendong includes Redfin and golden perch (yellow belly) Murray cod, silver perch, catfish and European carp.
Map and directions
Burrendong Dam is 30 kilometres south-east of Wellington, midway between Orange and Dubbo in Central West NSW. Wellington is 355 kilometres west of Sydney via the Great Western and Mitchell highways.
No model aircraft or drones
Dogs are only permitted on a leash
Facts and History
Burrendong Dam is situated on the Macquarie River just below its junction with the Cudgegong River, about 30 kilometres upstream from Wellington in Central West NSW. The dam is about 330 kilometres north-west of Sydney.
Find out more
BURRENDONG DAM
Facts and History
Burrendong Dam is situated on the Macquarie River just below its junction with the Cudgegong River, about 30 kilometres upstream from Wellington in Central West NSW. The dam is about 330 kilometres north-west of Sydney.
Burrendong Dam is one of the largest inland dams in NSW with a capacity of 1,678,000 megalitres, three times Sydney Harbour. The dam’s capacity includes 1,188,000 megalitres of water storage and a potential 489,000 megalitres of air space for flood mitigation.
Burrendong is an Aboriginal word for koala.
Why the dam was built
The dam was proposed immediately after World War II to improve town water supplies and boost agricultural production in the Macquarie Valley. Construction of the dam began in 1946 but due to financial constraints was not completed until 1967.
Cotton was one of the main crops to benefit from the availability of irrigation, as well as lucerne, cereals, oilseed, wheat and vegetables.
The dam was later used to supply water as environmental flows to the Macquarie Marshes, one of the largest remaining inland semi-permanent wetlands in south-eastern Australia and a major waterbird breeding area.
In addition to irrigated agriculture and environmental flows, the dam provides water for town supplies, industry and domestic requirements, flood mitigation and recreation, and a 19 megawatt hydroelectric power station which generates using summer irrigation and flood mitigation.
How the dam was built
Burrendong Dam is a rock-fill embankment with a clay core. The rock wall is 1116 metres long and 76 metres high. A concrete spillway is located about one kilometre north-east of the dam wall. The spillway allows flood waters to pass through seven radial gates each 16.8 metres wide and six metres high.
Construction began in 1946 but soon stopped due to financial constraints. Work recommenced in 1958 and was completed in 1967.
During the construction period, hundreds of workers lived on-site at Burrendong in single and married quarters. Other workers were housed in the nearby village of Mumbil and travelled to and from the dam by bus.
Most of the on-site accommodation was transportable and moved around the State as various Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission storage facilities took shape. Some of the huts were transported to Burrendong following the construction of Keepit Dam on the Namoi River north-west of Gunnedah.
Later improvements
To meet modern dam safety standards, in 2010 a series of upgrades commenced to improve dam safety in the event of extreme flooding. In 2011 the height of the main dam wall and saddle dams was raised by 1.8 metres, and in 2014 the spillways gates were strengthened. Construction of an auxiliary spillway to divert floodwaters around the dam in a rare and extreme flood so as to protect the dam and ensure it remains safe in an extreme flood was completed in 2014.
A structure was also constructed around the intake tower to reduce the impact of cold water being released from the bottom of the dam downstream into the Macquarie River.
WaterNSW acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands and waters on which we work and pay our respects to all elders past, present and emerging. Learn more