weir
A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...
on the
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the Go ...
City of Brisbane
The City of Brisbane is a local government area (LGA) which comprises the inner portion of the metropolitan area of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia. Its governing body is the Brisbane City Council. Unlike LGAs in the other mainl ...
,
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
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. The project was instigated by
John Petrie
John Petrie (15 January 1822 – 8 December 1892) was a Scottish-born politician,
architect, stonemason and building contractor in Brisbane who became the city's first Mayor.
Private life
John Petrie was born 15 January 1822Toowong Cemetery ...
at the end of the 19th century. The town of
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
was expanding and seeking more reliable sources of drinking water than
Enoggera Dam
The Enoggera Dam is a heritage-listed dam, which is located within the outer, western suburb of Enoggera Reservoir, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
History
The Enoggera Dam was constructed in 1866, on the upper reach of Breakfast Creek (wh ...
and
Gold Creek Dam
The Gold Creek Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam with an un-gated spillway across the Gold Creek that is located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. The main purpose of the dam is for potable water supply of the Brisbane reg ...
could provide. In conjunction with the
Mount Crosby Pumping Station
Mount Crosby pumping station is a heritage-listed pumping station and weir (the Mount Crosby Weir) at Stumers Road, Mount Crosby, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located on the Brisbane River and extends into Chuwar on the other ...
, it was listed on the
Queensland Heritage Register
The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. As a ...
on 25 October 2019.
Location and features
The location was selected because it was just above the upstream tidal flow of seawater at
Colleges Crossing
College's Crossing (also known as Colleges Crossing) is a low level bridge that crosses Brisbane River at Chuwar, a suburb of Ipswich in South East Queensland, Australia.
The road across the bridge is Mount Crosby Road. During major floods o ...
. The concrete structure was completed in April 1892. The dam wall rises and is in length. The weir has a capacity of , making it one of the largest weirs in the region. Above the weir is a one-lane road which is open to the public.
The nearby
Mount Crosby Pumping Station
Mount Crosby pumping station is a heritage-listed pumping station and weir (the Mount Crosby Weir) at Stumers Road, Mount Crosby, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located on the Brisbane River and extends into Chuwar on the other ...
is used to transport drinking water that is sourced from both the weir and the nearby
Lake Manchester Dam
Lake Manchester Dam is a concrete gravity dam with an un-gated spillway across Cabbage Tree Creek. It is also known as Cabbage Tree Creek Dam. It is in the locality of Lake Manchester, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The main purpose o ...
, which was built shortly after the Mount Crosby Weir.
Without an ongoing eradication program,
water hyacinth
''Pontederia crassipes'' (formerly ''Eichhornia crassipes''), commonly known as common water hyacinth is an aquatic plant native to South America, naturalized throughout the world, and often invasive outside its native range.Fernvale. In 2009, the weir was flushed to remove algae and organic matter that had built up.
South East Queensland Water Grid
The SEQ Water Grid is a region-wide, long term, water supply scheme that provides a sustainable water infrastructure network for the South East region of Queensland, Australia. The project was the largest urban response to the drought in Australi ...