Boondooma Dam
Encyclopedia
Boondooma Dam is a dam
on the Boyne River
in the South Burnett
region of Queensland
, Australia
. In 1983, the dam was constructed across the Boyne River below its confluence
with the Stuart River
.
It has a capacity of 204 200 ML under the 10 square kilometres (2,471.1 acre) of surface area and has an average depth of 11 metres (36 ft). The dam forms a narrow and deep lake, designed to avoid evaporation
, with one fork containing lots of standing timber and another having many submerged rocky outcrops.
Typically, the dam supplies between 50 million and 80 million litres of water per day to Tarong Power Station. The dam was connected to the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project
to ensure water levels would not interfere with power generation in times of drought
.
SunWater
, the dam's managing authority, is undertaking a dam spillway capacity upgrade program to ensure the highest level of safety for dams under their jurisdiction is maintained. The spillway will be upgraded in the longer term.
. Self-contained cabins, caravan sites and camping are all available by the lake. There are also multiple picnic grounds for day-trippers. Angling, swimming, sailing and water skiing are all popular activities at Boondooma Dam.
with bass
, golden perch
, silver perch
and barramundi
, while eel-tailed catfish
, and bony bream
are present naturally. A Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish in the dam. In 1993 and 1994, more than 60 000 barramundi were released into the dam, thought the furthest south that the species could survive. Limited numbers have been caught since, but greater success was achieved at locations closer to the coast of similar latitude.
>
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Boyne River
Boyne River (Queensland)
Boyne River is a river in Queensland, Australia. It flows between the twin towns of Boyne Island and Tannum Sands. The river was named by John Oxley as it reminded him of the River Boyne in Ireland. A bridge was built to cross the river joining the two towns in 1980...
in 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 of 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...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In 1983, the dam was constructed across the Boyne River below its confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
with the Stuart River
Stuart River (Queensland)
Stuart River is a river in Wide Bay-Burnett region of Queensland, Australia. The river flows into Boondooma Dam and thence on to the Boyne River, a tributary of the Burnett River....
.
It has a capacity of 204 200 ML under the 10 square kilometres (2,471.1 acre) of surface area and has an average depth of 11 metres (36 ft). The dam forms a narrow and deep lake, designed to avoid evaporation
Evaporation
Evaporation is a type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs only on the surface of a liquid. The other type of vaporization is boiling, which, instead, occurs on the entire mass of the liquid....
, with one fork containing lots of standing timber and another having many submerged rocky outcrops.
Water supply
It was built to supply water to the Tarong Power Station and as is the case at so many impoundments, takes its name from the original property in the area. The dam also supplies water to irrigate agricultural properties in the area.Typically, the dam supplies between 50 million and 80 million litres of water per day to Tarong Power Station. The dam was connected to the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project
Western Corridor Recycled Water Project
The Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme is Australia's largest recycled water project, located in South East Queensland. It is a key part of the SEQ Water Grid being constructed by the Queensland Government in response to population growth, climate change and severe drought.The A$2.5 billion...
to ensure water levels would not interfere with power generation in times of 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...
.
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 dam's managing authority, is undertaking a dam spillway capacity upgrade program to ensure the highest level of safety for dams under their jurisdiction is maintained. The spillway will be upgraded in the longer term.
Recreation
Since March 2001, camping and recreational facilities at the dam have been managed by the Wondai Shire Council, and since council amalgamations, South Burnett Regional CouncilSouth Burnett Regional Council
South Burnett Region is a Local Government in the South Burnett region of Queensland, Australia.-Origins:This Local Government was created in March 2008 as a result of the report of the Local Government Reform Commission released in July 2007....
. Self-contained cabins, caravan sites and camping are all available by the lake. There are also multiple picnic grounds for day-trippers. Angling, swimming, sailing and water skiing are all popular activities at Boondooma Dam.
Fishing
The dam is stockedFish 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 barramundi
Barramundi
The Barramundi , also known as Asian Seabass, is a species of catadromous fish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. The native species is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific region from the Persian Gulf, through Southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia. Known in Thai...
, while 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:...
, 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. In 1993 and 1994, more than 60 000 barramundi were released into the dam, thought the furthest south that the species could survive. Limited numbers have been caught since, but greater success was achieved at locations closer to the coast of similar latitude.