The Bendora Dam is a thin-wall, double curvature concrete arch dam across the upper reaches of the Cotter River, located within Namadgi National Park in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The impounded reservoir is called the Bendora Reservoir which is a supply source of potable water for the city of Canberra and its environs.

Location and features

Constructed by E S Clementson working from designs prepared by the Commonwealth Department of Works, the Bendora Dam was completed and opened in 1961 and was the first dam of its type built in Australia. The concrete dam wall built on a rock foundation is 47.2 m high and 174 m long with a volume of 30 e3m3. The wall impounds 11540 ML of water held within the Bendora Reservoir, forming a surface area of approximately 75 ha The uncontrolled spillway is capable of discharging 1590 m3/s from the 75 ha Bendora Reservoir, with a high water level approximately 778 m above sea level. Water from the Bendora, together with the Corin (further upstream), is fed to the suburbs of Canberra via the Bendora Gravity Main.