Coolmunda Dam
Encyclopedia
Coolmunda Dam is an embankment dam
built across the Macintyre Brook, creating the artificial Lake Coolmunda. The lake is situated 13 km east of Inglewood
, just off the Cunningham Highway
on Queensland's
Darling Downs. Constructed in 1968 for irrigation
and town water, the lake holds 69,000 ML of water at 100% capacity at an average depth of 4.3 m (14.1 ft) and has a surface area of 1,740 ha.
The total catchment area for the lake is 1735 km² (669.9 sq mi). Lake Coolmunda is filled by the Macintrye Brook waterway. Two smaller creeks, Bracker Creek and Sandy Creek, also provide inflows.
The lake is owned and managed by SunWater
. For visitors to the lake, there is one boat ramp, three picnic areas with good facilities as well as a caravan park. Free bush camping by the lake is permitted. There are no boating restrictions in place. Parts of the lake contain stretches of standing timber
and along the northern bank there are submerged fence posts the demark a former creek bed.
and spangled perch are found naturally in the lake's waters and the Lake Coolmunda Restocking Group Inc. stocks it with murray cod
, silver perch
and golden perch
. The dreaded european carp has also been found in the lake. Anglers require a Stocked Impoundment Permit to fish Lake Coolmunda.
Embankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
built across the Macintyre Brook, creating the artificial Lake Coolmunda. The lake is situated 13 km east of Inglewood
Inglewood, Queensland
Inglewood is a town situated on the southern Darling Downs in Queensland, Australia, south-west of Toowoomba. Inglewood is the second largest town in the Goondiwindi Region as well as being part of the Border Rivers region of waterways.-History:...
, just off the Cunningham Highway
Cunningham Highway
The Cunningham Highway is a National Highway in Queensland, Australia. It is named after the explorer and botanist Allan Cunningham who followed a route close to where the modern day highway runs.-Route:...
on Queensland's
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...
Darling Downs. Constructed in 1968 for irrigation
Irrigation in Australia
Irrigation in Australia is a widespread practice to supplement low rainfall levels in Australia with water from other sources to assist in the production of crops or pasture. As the driest inhabited continent, irrigation is required in many areas for production of crops for domestic and export use...
and town water, the lake holds 69,000 ML of water at 100% capacity at an average depth of 4.3 m (14.1 ft) and has a surface area of 1,740 ha.
The total catchment area for the lake is 1735 km² (669.9 sq mi). Lake Coolmunda is filled by the Macintrye Brook waterway. Two smaller creeks, Bracker Creek and Sandy Creek, also provide inflows.
The lake is owned and managed by 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....
. For visitors to the lake, there is one boat ramp, three picnic areas with good facilities as well as a caravan park. Free bush camping by the lake is permitted. There are no boating restrictions in place. Parts of the lake contain stretches of standing timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
and along the northern bank there are submerged fence posts the demark a former creek bed.
Fishing
Eel-tailed catfishEel-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 spangled perch are found naturally in the lake's waters and the Lake Coolmunda Restocking Group Inc. stocks it with murray cod
Murray Cod
The Murray cod is a large Australian predatory freshwater fish of the Maccullochella genus and the Percichthyidae family. Although the species is a called cod in the vernacular, it is not related to the northern hemisphere marine cod species...
, 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 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....
. The dreaded european carp has also been found in the lake. Anglers require a Stocked Impoundment Permit to fish Lake Coolmunda.