Pantonthwaite Dam

Pantonthwaite Dam
Location	Pantonthwaite, CENT
Status	Operational
Construction began	1932
Opening date	1938
Owner(s)	Water Corporation
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Concrete arch dam
Impounds	River Panton
Height (foundation)	230 ft (70 m)
Length	1,740 ft (530 m)
Elevation at crest	22 ft (6.7 m)
Width (base)	360 ft (110 m)
Spillway type	Side channel spillway
Reservoir
Creates	Lake Brabrazon
Catchment area	63 sq mi (160 km2)
Surface area	2.5 sq mi (6.5 km2)
Max. water depth	213 1⁄4 ft (65.0 m)
Power station
Operator(s)	Pacific Electricity
Commission date	1938
Hydraulic head	125
Turbines	4 × 20 MW Francis turbines
Installed capacity	80 MW
Capacity factor	25%
Annual generation	175 GW·h
Location map
Pantonthwaite Dam
Rivers and lakes of New Ingerland List of power stations in New Ingerland

The Pantonthwaite Dam (also known as the Panton Gorge Dam) is a hydro-electric dam across the River Panton near the village of Pantonthwaite in Centralia. The dam is used as an emergency water supply to the city of Kingsbury, but is chiefly used to direct water from the River Panton over the range and into the Hōriwai I and Hōriwai II power stations, the former of which utilises pumped-storage hydroelectricity to generate additional power for the National Grid. The entire system is owned and operated by Pacific Electricity, having taken over ownership of the power station from the Electricity Commission in 1994.