The Coolmunda Dam is an
earthfill embankment
Embankment may refer to:
Geology and geography
* A levee, an artificial bank raised above the immediately surrounding land to redirect or prevent flooding by a river, lake or sea
* Embankment (earthworks), a raised bank to carry a road, railwa ...
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...
with a
gated spillway across the Macintrye Brook, a tributary of the
Dumaresq River, that is located on
Darling Downs in
Coolmunda,
Goondiwindi Region
The Goondiwindi Region is a Local government in Australia, local government area located in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia along the state's border with New South Wales. Established in 2008, it was preceded by three previous l ...
,
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, Australia. The main purposes of the dam are for
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...
and
potable water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...
.
The impounded
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
is called the Lake Coolmunda.
Location and features
The dam is located approximately east of , just off the
Cunningham Highway. Two smaller creeks, Bracker Creek and Sandy Creek, also provide inflows to the reservoir.
Completed in 1968 the earthfill dam structure is high and long. The dam wall holds back the reservoir when at full capacity. From a
catchment area
In human geography, a catchment area is the area from which a location, such as a city, service or institution, attracts a population that uses its services and economic opportunities. Catchment areas may be defined based on from where people are ...
of , the dam creates Lake Coolmunda at an elevation of
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
, with a surface area of at a maximum depth of when at full capacity. The controlled spillway with radial gates has a discharge capacity of .
[ The dam is managed by ]SunWater
Sunwater, the trading name of Sunwater Limited, is a statutory Queensland Government -owned corporation that supplies bulk water to over customers and water consultancy services to a range of institutional clients in the Wide Bay–Burnett and ...
.
Recreational activities
There is one boat ramp
A slipway, also known as boat ramp or launch or boat deployer, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats, and for launching and retrieving small ...
, three picnic areas with good facilities as well as a caravan park.timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
and along the northern bank there are submerged fence posts the demark a former creek bed.Eel-tailed catfish
The eel-tailed catfish, ''Tandanus tandanus'', is a species of catfish (order Siluriformes) of the family Plotosidae. This fish is also known as dewfish, freshwater catfish, jewfish, and tandan.
This species is a freshwater fish native to th ...
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 Silver perch is a common name for several fishes and may refer to:
*''Bairdiella chrysoura'', native to the east coast of the United States
*''Bidyanus bidyanus'', endemic to Australia
*''Leiopotherapon plumbeus
''Leiopotherapon plumbeus'', know ...
and golden perch.european carp
The Eurasian carp or European carp (''Cyprinus carpio''), widely known as the common carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia.Fishbase''Cyprinus carpio'' Linnaeus, 1758/ref>Arkive The ...
has also been found in the lake.fish
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...
in the dam.
See also
* List of dams in Queensland
References
External links
*
{{WaterQueensland , state=autocollapse
Darling Downs
Dams completed in 1968
Dams in Queensland
1968 establishments in Australia
Embankment dams
Coolmunda, Lake
Dams in the Murray River basin