Lawrence’s main water supply comes from Bluejacket Gully creek, which was previously fed from the Phoenix Dam. With the dam decommissioned there is an operational bypass around the dam.
To ensure there is enough water for summer, Council has also done work to reinstate the existing Bungtown Race and the siphon.
The decision to bypass the dam was made by Council as the dam owner, Port Blakely Limited, decided to decommission its dam due to ongoing safety concerns related to the age of the dam.
The bypass is a temporary solution until the new Greenfield Bore (with water supplied from the Clutha River) is operational, which will supply the Lawrence township in the future. This is under construction and involves the amalgamation of pipe networks with four pumping stations and a network of 48.5km of pipework. It is expected to be completed mid 2025.
Phoenix Dam is a historic water supply dam located 3km north-east of and above Lawrence, Otago. The dam was originally constructed in c.1863 for goldmine sluicing.
The map below demonstrates where Bungtown Creek starts, north-east of the Phoenix Dam, roughly where the siphon starts and the point where the Bungtown outer race and Bluejacket Creek meet above the now decommissioned
dam, before flowing into the bypass.
