Construction of Bjelke-Petersen Dam near Cherbourg

Cherbourg, Queensland

Cherbourg is a town in the South Burnett region of Queensland, Australia. It is located off the Bunya Highway approximately north-west of Brisbane and from the town of Murgon. It is situated very close to the dam wall of Bjelke-Petersen Dam. Attractions in Cherbourg include the 'Bert Button...

 in Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

, commenced in 1984 and finished in 1988. It created the lake that was named Lake Barambah after the original property in the region. The dam supplies water to the South Burnett

South Burnett

The South Burnett is a peanut growing and wine-producing region on the Great Dividing Range, north of the Darling Downs, in Queensland.-Towns:...

 region, mostly for irrigation purposes.

The dam wall is 540 m (1,771.7 ft) long and rises 34 m (111.5 ft). The wall is an earth and rock fill structure with a central clay

Clay

Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...

 core, which can hold back 134,900 ML of water. The dam is generally shallow. Barker Creek provides the main inflow, while Four Mile Creek, Six Mile Creek, Frickey Creek and Cattle Creek also flow into the dam.

History

In the 1990s management of the camping and recreational facilities was handed to Murgon Shire Council. Facilities for caravans, cabins, camping and day-trippers are extensive. Under normal conditions there are no boating restrictions, except near the dam wall.

In 2006, drought

Drought in Australia

Drought in Australia is defined as rainfall over a three month period being in the lowest decile of what has been recorded for that region in the past. This definition takes into account that drought is a relative term and rainfall deficiencies need to be compared to typical rainfall patterns...

 conditions had reduced dam levels to 5% of total capacity. With such low levels, visitors numbers had dropped significantly and local councils were concerned about maintaining drinking water for local towns.

SunWater

SunWater

SunWater is a company located in Queensland, Australia. The company supplies bulk water to over 6000 customers and water consultancy to a range of clients....

, the managing organisation of the dam, is undertaking a dam spillway

Spillway

A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...

 capacity upgrade program to ensure the highest level of safety for our dams is maintained. The spillway upgrade commenced in 2007.

Fishing

The dam is stocked

Fish stocking

Fish stocking is the practice of raising fish in a hatchery and releasing them into a river, lake, or the ocean to supplement existing populations, or to create a population where none exists...

 with bass

Bass (fish)

Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...

, golden perch

Golden perch

The golden perch, Macquaria ambigua, is an Australian native freshwater fish, primarily of the Murray-Darling river system. It is not a true perch of the genus Perca....

, silver perch

Silver Perch

Silver perch is a medium sized freshwater fish endemic to the Murray-Darling river system in south-eastern Australia. The scientific name comes from an aboriginal name for the species recorded by Major Mitchell on his 1832 expedition. It is not a perch, being a grunter in the family Terapontidae...

 and southern saratoga

Southern saratoga

The southern saratoga is a species of fish in the Osteoglossidae family. It is endemic to Australia.-Description:...

. Additionally eel-tailed catfish

Eel-tailed Catfish

The eel-tailed catfish, Tandanus tandanus, is a species of catfish of the family Plotosidae. This fish is also known as dewfish, freshwater catfish, jewfish, and tandan.-Distribution:...

, spangled perch and bony bream

Bony bream

Bony bream Nematalosa erebi are a widespread and common, small to medium sized Australian freshwater fish often found in large shoals throughout much of northern and central Australia, and the Murray-Darling basin.-Description:...

 are present naturally. A Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish in the dam. The Bjelke-Petersen Dam Fishing Classic is held every October.

Illegally introduced sleepy cod

Sleepy cod

The sleepy cod, Oxyeleotris lineolatus, is a medium-sized freshwater fish, native to tropical regions of northern Australia.Sleepy cod generally weigh up to 3 kg. They are very common in waterways across northern Australia. They are plain brown coloured fishes. They are sedentary in nature...

 and red-claw crayfish are maintaining breeding populations. In 2002, Tilapia were posing a threat to the dam, resulting in the need for pipeline screening to be implemented in an effort to stop eggs and larva

Larva

A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...

e entering the dam.