Split Rock Dam The third dam built in the Namoi Valley
Our recreation areas are open for day use only. Read more on our COVID-19 response measures and guide for using facilities.
Our recreation areas are open for day use only. Read more on our COVID-19 response measures and guide for using facilities.
Visit the Dam
Facilities
- Camping
- Barbecues
- Picnic areas
- Toilets
- Fishing
- Shower facilities
- Boat ramps
- Water sports
- Bushwalking
Split Rock Dam is a popular inland sport and recreation destination near Tamworth, offering year-round attractions for water sports and fishing enthusiasts, birdwatchers, bushwalkers, campers and picnickers. Split Rock operates with Keepit Dam to supply water for irrigation, environmental flows, stock, industry and household needs in the Namoi Valley.
Look out points
Dam foreshores
The dam’s extensive foreshores provide many vantage points with views of the lake and rolling countryside. There is no access to the dam wall.
Things to do
Opening hours
Dam grounds
Open 24 hours a day, all year round. Barraba Visitor Information Centre 02 6782 1105.
Directions
View in MapsSplit Rock Dam is 70 kilometres north-west of Tamworth on the NSW North West Slopes. Tamworth is about 500 kilometres north-west of Sydney via the Pacific and New England highways.
Facilities
- Camping
- Barbecues
- Picnic areas
- Toilets
- Fishing
- Shower facilities
- Boat ramps
- Water sports
- Bushwalking
Restrictions
Restrictions are in place to protect our water supply and ensure that everyone has an enjoyable and safe visit - with penalties up to $44,000 applying:
- No model aircraft or drones
Recreation Areas at WaterNSW dams will be closed on ALL Total Fire Ban days.
The Split Rock Experience
Things to see and do
1. Camp
Split Rock Dam’s extensive foreshores offer sites for unpowered camping with lake views. The main camping ground about one kilometre north of the dam wall on the western foreshore has powered and unpowered sites, wood barbecues, toilets, picnic shelters and fish cleaning area. Glenriddle Reserve on the northern shore of the dam’s upper reaches also provides camping at unpowered sites with wood barbecues, toilets and a gravel boat ramp.
2. Water sports
Water sports include skiing, jet skis, sailing, canoeing and swimming. A concrete boat ramp is available at the main camping grounds about one kilometre north of the dam wall on the western foreshore. A gravel boat ramp is available at Glenriddle Reserve on the northern shore of the dam’s upper reaches.
3. Fishing
Murray cod, golden perch (yellow belly) and silver perch are the top catches. Catfish and carp are also caught.
Dam Summary
Facts & History
Split Rock Dam is situated on the Manilla River about 28 kilometres upstream of Manilla and 70 kilometres north-west of Tamworth on the NSW North West Slopes. The dam is about 500 kilometres north-west of Sydney.
The dam has a capacity of 397,370 megalitres, three-quarters the volume of Sydney Harbour.
Split Rock Dam is named after a fissure in a giant rock near the dam site.
Why the dam was built
Split Rock Dam was built in the 1980s to supplement supplies from Keepit Dam and meet increased agricultural demand for water in the Namoi Valley.
Split Rock Dam on the Manilla River became the third dam built in the Namoi Valley. The others are Keepit Dam on the Namoi River and Chaffey Dam on the Peel River.
Cotton was one of the main crops to benefit from the availability of irrigation, with many farmers switching from sheep and cattle to cotton after Keepit Dam was built in the 1960s. The Namoi Valley is also well-known for its agricultural production of cereal, oilseed, lucerne, wheat and vegetables.
In addition to irrigated agriculture and environmental flows, the dam provides town water for Walgett and Barraba, and meets other industry and domestic requirements, flood mitigation and recreation. A two megawatt hydroelectric power station generates on irrigation, flood mitigation and environmental flows.
How the dam was built
Split Rock Dam is a rock-fill embankment wall with a concrete slab on the upstream face. The wall is 456 metres long and 68 metres high.
A concrete chute spillway is located just north of the dam wall.
An intake tower controls the quality and temperature of water released from the dam.
Construction began in 1984 and finished in 1987.
Later improvements
To meet modern dam safety standards, in 2012 a two-metre high concrete parapet wall was built on top of the embankment wall to improve the ability of the dam to withstand a rare and extreme flood.
Notifications
In consultation with our stakeholders and the community we review and update these notifications.
To receive Early Warning Network notifications below please register your details with us.
To see past notifications, please visit all dam notifications.
Dam safety notifications
Alerts will be issued in the following unlikely events:
- When there is a reasonable possibility of dam failure.
- State Emergency Service (SES) require advance public warning to evacuate if such a failure may occur.
Amber alert
- Trigger - Storage level has reached design flood Level.
- Notification - You are advised to move to higher ground and if necessary evacuate.
Red alert
- Trigger - Storage level has top of parapet level.
- Notification - Residents are advised to evacuate to their designated flood assembly points.
Flood notifications
Flood notifications indicate the dam is releasing controlled or uncontrolled flows, likely to cause downstream flooding.
Flood operations
- Trigger - Spillway flows (uncontrolled*) have commenced.
- Notification - Split rock dam is at full capacity and is expected to commence spilling.
* refers to automatic spillway flows at ungated dams once storage capacity exceeds 100%
High regulated release notifications
High regulated releases are when our operations may impact landholders immediately downstream or we are releasing higher than normal flows.
Normal operations
- Range - 0 to 500 megalitres per day.
- Notification - No notifications in this range.
Increased flows
- Trigger - When flow increases above 500 megalitres per day.
- Notification - Releases are planned to increase from X00 megalitres per day (ML/day) to Y,000 ML/day at 00:00 on DD/MM/YY.
More information
| Agency | Information | Website | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bureau of Meteorology | Weather forecasts and warnings | BOM | varies by region |
| NSW State Emergency Service | Flood or severe weather warnings/advice | NSW SES | 132 500 |
| NSW Water Information | Storage levels and river heights | Water info | N/A |
| WaterNSW Algae Hotline | Algal alert details and algae levels | WaterNSW | 1800 999 457 |
| Early Warning Network | To view or edit your registration details | EWN | 1300 662 077 |