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Copperlode Falls Dam or Lake Morris is a fresh water reservoir dam in
Cairns Water - History of Copperlode Dam
{{WaterQueensland , state=autocollapse Buildings and structures in Far North Queensland Reservoirs in Queensland Dams completed in 1976 Dams in Queensland
Copperlode Falls Dam or Lake Morris is a fresh water reservoir dam in Lamb Range
Lamb Range is a locality in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Lamb Range had a population of 0.
Geography
The locality takes its name from the mountain range Lamb Range.
The locality that lies to the west of most of the south ...
, Cairns Region
The Cairns Region is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Queensland, Australia, centred on the regional city of Cairns. It was established in 2008 by the amalgamation of the City of Cairns and the Shires of Douglas and Mulgrave. H ...
, 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
, establishe ...
, Australia, servicing the city of Cairns. The dam is located in the range immediately west of Cairns.
History
Originally Cairns' water needs were met with water drawn from Freshwater Creek and Behana Creek. It was evident to even the earliest settlers that a larger source of water would need to be secured as Cairns grew. With this in mind, one of the city's engineers, F Morris, explored theLamb Range
Lamb Range is a locality in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Lamb Range had a population of 0.
Geography
The locality takes its name from the mountain range Lamb Range.
The locality that lies to the west of most of the south ...
to the west of the city to find a place to build a dam. In 1935 he found a site at Copperlode falls, near the headwaters of Freshwater Creek, that he thought would be suitable. Many years later, after a series of surveys confirmed the site's suitability, the Queensland Government
The Queensland Government is the democratic administrative authority of the Australian state of Queensland. The Government of Queensland, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy was formed in 1859 as prescribed in its Constitution, as amended f ...
approved the site for construction of an earth and rock fill dam.
The State Government originally set aside A$3 million for the dam, but by the time the dam was completed on 25 March 1976, the total cost had risen to approximately $6.5 million. The reservoir holds 38,475 megalitres of water (in comparison to Lake Tinaroo's 407,000 megalitres).
A reinforced masonry wall was added to the dam crest in 1993 to prevent waves from overtopping the wall in the event of extreme floods.
The reservoir is named Lake Morris after Cairns City engineer Frank Roland Morris who discovered its site, but the dam itself is named after the waterfalls it replaced - Copperlode Falls.
Daily updates on water levels can be found at http://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/water-waste-roads/water/water-sources-supply via a link to "CRC Water Summary Report". Historical data is not yet available at this site.
See also
* Crystal Cascades * Barron RiverReferences
External links
Cairns Water - History of Copperlode Dam
{{WaterQueensland , state=autocollapse Buildings and structures in Far North Queensland Reservoirs in Queensland Dams completed in 1976 Dams in Queensland