Paluma Dam is an embankment dam across Swamp Creek, situated on the western slopes of the Paluma Range, north of

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

. The reservoir formed by Paluma Dam is known as Lake Paluma. Paluma Dam is managed by

Townsville City Council The City of Townsville is a local government area (LGA) located in North Queensland, Australia. It encompasses the city of Townsville, together with the surrounding rural areas, to the south are the communities of Alligator Creek, Woodstock an ...

.Water Supply: Paluma Dam
City of Townsville. Retrieved on 15 November 2021. The embankment is approximately long and has a long spillway. In addition to the main embankment, there are two saddle dams. The reservoir has a storage capacity of . The reservoir is surrounded by the

Paluma Range National Park Paluma Range is a national park located between Ingham and Townsville, in north Queensland, Australia. The park is 1188 km north of Brisbane. Geography The park contains the Jourama Falls, Crystal Creek and Lake Paluma. Ecology Most of ...

, but does not form a part of the park. Water decanted from the dam is piped to the Crystal Creek catchment, on the eastern slopes of the Paluma Range. This water supplements natural flow in Crystal Creek, which is drawn from for supply of water to the city of Townsville. Maximum outflow from the dam is 43.2 ML/day. Paluma Dam was constructed between 1957 and 1958. The original storage capacity was 10,273 ML. This was increased to 11,496 ML in 1981 and then to 11,830 ML in 2020. These increases in capacity were achieved by adding flashboards to the spillway. Paluma Dam can be accessed via Paluma Dam Road. The lake and the surrounding national park are used for recreational activities such as camping, hiking, swimming and non-motorised boating.

References

External links

Lake Paluma – Townsville City Council

Paluma Range National Park
Reservoirs in Queensland Buildings and structures in Townsville Dams in Queensland {{Queensland-struct-stub