Manly Dam Reserve

Last updated

Manly Dam Reserve
New South Wales
Australia New South Wales relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Manly Dam Reserve
Nearest town or city Manly, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates 33°46′33″S151°14′52″E / 33.775803°S 151.247769°E / -33.775803; 151.247769
Area376[ citation needed ]

The Manly Dam Reserve, also known as the Manly Warringah War Memorial Park, [1] is an urban bushland reserve located in the Northern Beaches region of Sydney, Australia. The reserve adjoins the south-eastern edge of Garigal National Park.

Contents

Located within the 376 hectares (930 acres) reserve is the 30-hectare (74-acre) dam reservoir. [2]

The heritage listed dam wall was designed and built in 1892 by the NSW Department of Public Works. [3] The dam wall is located just outside the boundary of the reserve and is owned by Sydney Water.

There are a number of Aboriginal heritage sites in the reserve.

Dam

The reserve is centred on a man-made reservoir known as Manly Dam; formed by the construction of a gravity dam across the Curl Curl Creek. [4] [5] Curl Curl Creek was originally dammed in 1892 to create a reservoir with a capacity of 310 megalitres (68.2×10^6 imp gal) [6] :80 to provide a permanent supply of fresh water for the nearby village of Manly. The original 11-metre (37 ft) high dam wall was subsequently raised in 1909, 1914 and 1922 to a final height of 35 metres (115 ft), increasing the capacity to 2,000 megalitres (441×10^6 imp gal). [6] :81 However, as the population of the area grew, the dam's capacity became insufficient. [7]

Water supply from Manly Dam had been augmented with supply from the main metropolitan system starting in 1906, [6] :81 initially from Mosman reservoir. By 1928 it was realised that Manly Dam had reached its limits and all future expansion would rely on the main metropolitan system. A trunk main was therefore laid from the Pymble reservoir and pumping from Manly Dam ceased in 1933. [6] :82 Briefly in 1942 after a period of drought, pumps were reinstalled and Manly Dam was brought back into service for nearly 10 months. [8]

In the early 1990s engineers installed a large enclosed powered propeller against the dam wall on the reservoir side to prevent silt building up against the wall and causing damage to the structure. The propeller's purpose is also to prevent stratification of the water body, thereby improving the water quality by preventing eutrophication.

The dam wall is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, [3] however it is outside the boundary of the reserve and its management remains the responsibility of Sydney Water.

War memorial

Manly Dam Memorial World Peace Manly Dam Memorial World Peace.jpg
Manly Dam Memorial World Peace

Manly Dam was established as a War Memorial Park after World War I. A committee of ex-servicemen were given the responsibility of managing the bushland catchment of Manly Dam around 1920. The Manly Warringah War Memorial Park holds particular significance in remembering fallen service personnel from the First and Second World Wars, as well as being of significance to past and present day members of the Defence forces. The 1998 Plan of Management allowed for the development of a war memorial, sculptures and flagpole located in the Park's picnic areas. These became the focus of events on these special days each year. In 1995 the area was re-dedicated to the memory of service personnel as part of the “Australia Remembers” celebrations. The venue is valued by the community for these memorial services; the peaceful nature of the Park adding to its commemorative roles. [2]

Vegetation communities

The flora of the park is dominated by Hawkesbury sandstone vegetation and the endangered Duffy's Forest Ecological Community. Manly Dam Reserve has more than 300 native plant species recorded, including 18 different species of native orchids. [9]

Wildlife

The diverse range of plant communities in the Manly Dam Reserve provide a home to a wide variety of native wildlife.

The parks mammal population includes the commonly seen brushtailed possums, ringtail possums, swamp wallabies, brown antechinus, bush rats, long-nosed bandicoots and short-beaked echidnas. More secretive and less commonly seen species include a range of microbats including the threatened eastern bent-wing bat; the threatened eastern pygmy possum and grey-headed fruit bat. There are also records of koalas and spotted-tailed quolls being seen within the reserve. [2]

More than 80 species of birds have been recorded from the Park, including a variety of waterbirds and migratory species. The Park also provides an important refuge for many species such as wrens and thornbills which are becoming increasingly rare in urban bushland areas. Large predatory birds such as Powerful Owls are also regularly sighted in the reserve.

Reptiles are commonly encountered by visitors to the park with Eastern Water Dragons, Water Skinks and Lace Monitors and a variety of smaller skinks and geckos often seen near picnic areas and along walking tracks. The much rarer Rosenbergs or Heath Monitor can sometimes be seen by keen observers in more remote areas of the Park. Although Red-bellied Black Snakes and Common Brown Snakes are also often sighted along tracks, the park is home to a range of less often seen snakes such as Yellow-faced Whip snakes, Marsh Snakes, Golden-crowned Snakes, Diamond Pythons, Blind Snakes and Tiger Snakes. Eastern Long-necked Turtles also occur at the dam but are rarely seen by visitors.

Ten species of frogs have been recorded from the park including the Common Eastern Froglet, Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog, Striped Marsh Frogs, and Perons Tree Frogs. Manly Dam Reserve is also home to the threatened Red-crowned Toadlet which is associated with the rocky ridges and drainages of the Hawkesbury Sandstone formation.

There are a variety of native and introduced fish in the waters of the reserve. Native fish include species such as Climbing galaxias, [10] Fire-tail Gudgeon, and Short-finned and Long-finned Eels. The Climbing galaxias inhabits some of the less disturbed creeks and is able to climb up wet rock faces and cliffs with the aid of ridges on its fins, can breathe through its skin, and has lived in this once remote area, for an estimated 60 million years. [2] Australian Bass once occurred naturally in Curl Curl Creek but were unable to recolonise upstream areas once the dam wall was built in 1892 and blocked their access. Young Bass fingerlings are now regularly stocked into the dam by the NSW Department of Primary Industries to cater for recreational fishermen. A lone stocking of Silver Perch occurred in the early 1990s but these have not been stocked since as they are not native to the catchment area. Some of the introduced species include European Carp, Goldfish and the pest fish Gambusia and Redfin.

Manly Dam Reserve is also home to a wide variety of terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates and provides an ideal location for school, university and community groups to study them. [11] [12]

Threats to conservation

In 1999 the local community mounted a vigil and blockade to try and stop the contentious "Ardel" housing development from proceeding at Allambie Heights in the upper catchment (now called Maddison Way). [13] [14] Over 1,000 people attended a demonstration near the site, the "Jam for the Dam" march and music event was organised in Manly, attended by over 4,000 people. There were also rallies at NSW parliament and Warringah Council. A golf tournament Save Manly Dam Golf Classic was held at Wakehurst Golf Club. The attendees included Peter Garrett, Tony Abbott, Cliff Lyons, Craig Riddington and Guy Leech. Ultimately the battle was lost and the development proceeded. [15]

In 2014 the integrity of the Manly Dam Reserve was again threatened when the NSW Education Department lodged a development application with Warringah Shire Council (now known as the Northern Beaches Council) for the redevelopment and expansion of the Manly Vale Public School. [16] The development would significantly increase the size of the school and would result in 4.37 hectares of significant native bushland being cleared from the Manly Dam Reserve for Fire Asset Protection Zones. [17]

Concerned residents and members of the wider community objected to the proposal on several grounds: namely there being a significant fire and evacuation risk for the proposed increase in student numbers; parking and traffic issues in small residential streets; and the loss of significant areas of native bushland belonging to the Manly Dam Reserve and adjacent Council Land – home to a variety of protected and threatened native fauna and flora. [18] [19] Several Threatened Species including the Eastern Pygmy Possum, Red-crowned Toadlet, Powerful Owl, Eastern bent-wing bat and the Grey-headed fruit bat are known to occur in the area. Although a Species Impact Statement was presented by the Education Department with the Development Application, a large number of wildlife species that are known to utilise the site were not recorded due to the limited survey period and time constraints. [20]

The redevelopment of the Manly Vale Public School attracted media attention both in the local media and interstate. [21] [22]

On 20 December 2016 the school development was approved by the Sydney North Planning Panel. The administrator of the Northern Beaches Council Dick Persson said that the decision was not the Council's position and maintained that “Council is strongly opposed in its current form as was the previously elected Council in Warringah.” He said his and the Council's major concerns were the sprawl of the site, building over bushland instead of building up, bushfire risks and traffic congestion. [23]

Tracks

Manly Dam has a variety of walking tracks and mountain bike circuit of 9.72 kilometres (6.04 mi). The mountain bike circuit is very popular destination for mountain bike riders. [24] [25]

Sports

There is a signposted swimming area marked out by buoys near the main car park and picnic area 1. The section of water between picnic areas 2 and 3 is a dedicated water skiing area and is prohibited for swimming and non-motorised water activities. [26] [27]

Hydraulics Laboratories

A view from the dam Manly dam mini Crane.jpg
A view from the dam

Manly Hydraulics Laboratory is run by the NSW Government Department of Finance, Services and Innovation. [28] The Water Research Laboratory is operated by the University of New South Wales. [29] Both laboratories are located below the dam wall adjacent to Manly Dam Reserve.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garigal National Park</span> Protected area in New South Wales, Australia

The Garigal National Park is a protected national park that is located within the North Shore and Forest District regions of Sydney, New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The 2,202-hectare (5,440-acre) national park is situated approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of the Sydney central business district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Beaches</span> Region in New South Wales, Australia

The Northern Beaches is a region within Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, near the Pacific coast. This area extends south to the entrance of Port Jackson, west to Middle Harbour and north to the entrance of Broken Bay. The area was formerly inhabited by the Garigal or Caregal people in a region known as Guringai country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warringah Council</span> Former local government area in New South Wales, Australia

Warringah Council was a local government area in the northern beaches region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It was proclaimed on 7 March 1906 as the Warringah Shire Council, and became "Warringah Council" in 1993. In 1992, Pittwater Council was formed when the former A Riding of Warringah Shire voted to secede. From this point on until amalgamation, Warringah Council administered 152 square kilometres (59 sq mi) of land, including nine beaches and 14 kilometres (9 mi) of coastline. Prior to its abolition it contained 6,000 hectares of natural bushland and open space, with Narrabeen Lagoon marking Warringah's northern boundary and Manly Lagoon marking the southern boundary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frenchs Forest, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Frenchs Forest is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Frenchs Forest is 13 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Northern Beaches Council. Frenchs Forest is part of Sydney's Northern Beaches region and also considered to be part of the Forest District, colloquially known as The Forest by its locals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dee Why</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Dee Why is a coastal suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, 18 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district. It is the administrative centre of the local government area of Northern Beaches Council and, along with Brookvale, is considered to be the main centre of the Northern Beaches region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Division of Warringah</span> Australian federal electoral division

The Division of Warringah is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales.

Manly Vale is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Northern Beaches Council, in the Northern Beaches region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curl Curl</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Curl Curl is a suburb of northern Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia, 18 kilometres (11 mi) north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Northern Beaches Council. It is part of the Northern Beaches region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manly Selective Campus</span> School in Australia

The Manly Selective Campus of the Northern Beaches Secondary College is a government-funded co-educational academically selective secondary day school, located in North Curl Curl, a suburb on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Michael John Regan is an Australian politician and former public servant. He was mayor of Warringah Council from 13 September 2008 to May 2016 following its amalgamation into the Northern Beaches Council. In September 2017, Regan was elected as the first Mayor of Northern Beaches Council, holding office until May 2023. At the March 2023 state election, Regan was elected to the NSW Legislative Assembly seat of Wakehurst, which covers a large portion of the area of Northern Beaches Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lane Cove Bushland Park</span> Forest near Sydney, Australia

Lane Cove Bushland Park is located in suburban Lane Cove, 5 kilometres from the centre of Sydney, Australia. It is regarded as one of the more interesting areas of fungi in the country. In the year 2000, Bushland Park was placed on the Register of the National Estate, under the Australian Heritage Commission Act, 1975. Average annual rainfall is 1220 mm. Soils are moderately fertile, based on Hawkesbury sandstone and Ashfield Shale. The climate is warm and humid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolli Creek Regional Park</span>

The Wolli Creek Regional Park is a 50 hectares regional park, located adjacent to Wolli Creek within the Wolli Creek Valley, between Bexley North and Tempe in south-west Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oatley Park, New South Wales</span>

Oatley Park is a 112 acres (45 ha) reserve located on a promontory jutting into the Georges River in the southern Sydney suburb of Oatley. It is bounded by the Georges River, Lime Kiln Bay, and Jew Fish Bay. The park includes natural bushland, waterways, a children's playground, and an oval. The park is a popular place for picnics, recreational, and sporting activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manly Dam</span> Dam

The Manly Dam is a heritage-listed dam near King Street, Manly Vale with a reservoir extending into Allambie Heights, both in the Northern Beaches Council local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It is often used as a place to have recreational activities. The reservoir is located within the Manly Dam Reserve. The dam was designed by the NSW Department of Public Works and built in 1892 by the Department. The reservoir and dam is owned by Sydney Water, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. The reservoir and dam was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 18 November 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferndale Park</span> Place in New South Wales, Australia

Ferndale Park is located in suburban Chatswood, 8 km (5 mi) from the centre of Sydney, Australia. It is an important urban forest reserve, preserving Blackbutt forest and the mossy gully rainforest. Most of this original forest was cleared for agriculture and housing in the 19th and 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Beaches Council</span> Local government area in New South Wales, Australia

The Northern Beaches Council is a local government area located in the Northern Beaches region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The council was formed on 12 May 2016 after the amalgamation of Manly, Pittwater, and Warringah councils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wetherill Park Nature Reserve</span>

Wetherill Park Nature Reserve, also called Wetherill Park Reserve, is an urban park and a nature reserve situated in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The reserve contains an open woodland and bushland which feature native plants, such as eucalyptus trees, and recreational areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prospect Nature Reserve</span>

Prospect Nature Reserve is a nature reserve and recreational area that is situated in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, which incorporates the Prospect Reservoir, and also features picnic spots, lookouts, walking tracks and BBQ areas within the Australian bush. It is located within the Blacktown City local government area, but is also close to the boundaries of Cumberland Council and the City of Fairfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallumatta Nature Reserve</span> Protected area in New South Wales, Australia

Wallumatta Nature Reserve, also called the Macquarie Hospital Bushland, is a 6-hectare (15-acre) nature reserve bushland area, surrounded by the residential suburb of East Ryde, in suburban Sydney, Australia. Once part of the Field of Mars of 1804, the reserve is the largest surviving area of Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest, an endangered ecosystem. Soils are based on Ashfield Shale and Hawkesbury Sandstone.

Tambourine Bay is a bay located in between the suburbs of Riverview and Longueville in the Lower North Shore of Sydney, NSW, Australia. The bay and its adjoining creek is a northern tributary of the Lane Cove River, a ria that joins Sydney harbour to Greenwich and Woolwich. The bay's foreshore and surrounding park areas are managed by the municipality of Lane Cove.

References

  1. "Manly Warringah War Memorial Park". NSW Geographical Names Board. NSW Government. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Manly Warringah War Memorial Park Plan of Management" (PDF). Warringah Council. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Manly Dam". New South Wales State Heritage Register . Department of Planning & Environment. H01327. Retrieved 2 June 2018. CC BY icon.svg Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence .
  4. "Manly Dam and Surrounds". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  5. "Manly Dam Environment". Northern Beaches Council. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Aird, W. V. (1961), The Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage of Sydney, Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board , retrieved 1 May 2016
  7. "Manly Dam Heritage item". Sydney Water. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  8. "History of Manly Dam" (PDF). Warringah Council. Retrieved 1 June 2008.
  9. "Duffys Forest Ecological Community" (PDF). NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service=17 Dec2016.
  10. Hannam, Peter (6 September 2020). "Manly Dam's ancient climbing fish have a new threat to scale". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  11. "Manly's dam shame". University of Technology Sydney. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  12. "The diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates within the creeks of the Manly Dam Catchment" (PDF). Melody Fong and Tida Nou. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  13. "The fight to save Manly Dam youtube video". YouTube . Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  14. "Fight to save Sydney bushland". 30 June 1999. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  15. "Save Manly Dam". Youtube.
  16. "Manly Vale Public School Redevelopment Project update". NSW Education Department. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  17. "War memorial Park under siege" . Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  18. "Do not murder our children with this plan". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  19. "Council fights compulsory buy of section of War Memorial Park for Manly Vale Public". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  20. "Species Impact statement Manly Vale Public School". Kleinfelder. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  21. "Manly Vale public school expansion threatens species". The Age. 10 January 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  22. "Three year battle over Manly Vale Public School redevelopment set to come to an end". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  23. "Manly Vale school development approved with 3.65ha of bush to be demolished for more classrooms". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  24. "Manly Dam". Warringah Council. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  25. "The Northern Beaches Mountain Biking Group". Northern Beaches MTB. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  26. "Manly Dam". Warringah Council. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  27. "Manly WarringahWater ski club". Manly Warringah Water Ski Club. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  28. "Manly Hydraulics Laboratory". Public Works. NSW Government. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  29. "Water Research Laboratory (WRL)". University of New South Wales - Engineering. University of NSW. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.