physical vs cultural relationships of wongong dam

physical vs cultural relationships of wongong dam

  • Submitted By: siegera
  • Date Submitted: 08/05/2014 4:45 AM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 665
  • Page: 3

Wungong Gorge Essay
Wungong Gorge is surrounded by many cultural and physical elements. Located on the western edge
of the Darling Plateau, Wungong Dam is owned by the Western Australian Government, after many
years of being owned by individual farmers, bought in 1970 by the Water Corporation. The area was
surveyed in 1844 and was granted to George and John Armstrong, becoming the earliest farm. In the
1930’s and 1940’s, the area was used for growing strawberries, sheep and cattle grazing and a quarry.
The stone from this quarry were later used for the construction of the dam wall. The actual dam was
built in 1970, and is one of the main sources of water for the Perth Metropolitan Area.
First of all, the physical aspects of the natural environment have had a considerable impact on the
Wungong Dam, including the quarry and recreational lake. God created the Wungong Gorge and
Darling Scarp as an ideal location for the foundation of the Wungong Dam. The dam was also built on
the edge of the Darling Scarp, which is narrow so there is no need for a wide, larger wall. This is an
ideal location because of the good catchment area, owing to the fact of the sloping valleys and general
slope of the scarp, which allows the water to run down and into the dam area. This aspect limits the
amount of pipes required for the water to run into the dam, saving a substantial amount of the WA
Government’s money. The dam location also doesn’t require pumps for the water to be pumped to the
Perth metropolitan Area. The location is also ideal because of the orographic rainfall, the scarp having
more rainfall than the Swan Coastal Plain.
A second relationship is the flora surrounding Wungong Dam, and the tracks and trails that have been
constructed for easy access. The paths were originally built around the perimeter of the old farm in
1840, allowing easy access to the quarries. Paths made from gravel have been built critically for fire
breaks to give fire fighter the...

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