Borumba Dam

Borumba Dam
Borumba Dam
	A panorama of Lake Borumba
	Location of the Borumba Dam; in Queensland
Country	Australia
Location	Wide Bay–Burnett, Queensland
Coordinates	26°30′43″S 152°34′44″E / 26.51194°S 152.57889°E
Purpose	Irrigation and potable water supply
Status	Operational
Opening date	1963; upgraded in 1997 and 2009
Operator(s)	SEQ Water
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment dam
Impounds	Yabba Creek
Height	43 m (141 ft)
Length	343 m (1,125 ft)
Dam volume	402×103 m3 (14.2×106 cu ft)
Spillway type	Uncontrolled
Spillway capacity	3,140 m3/s (111,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Lake Borumba
Total capacity	45,952 ML (1,622.8×106 cu ft)
Catchment area	465 km2 (180 sq mi)
Surface area	480 ha (1,200 acres)
	Website; www.seqwater.com.au

The Borumba Dam is a rock-fill embankment dam with an un-gated spillway located across the Yabba Creek, a tributary of the Mary River, in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia. The main purposes of the dam are for irrigation and potable water supply.^[2]^[3] The resultant impounded reservoir is called Lake Borumba.^[1]

Location and features

Constructed in 1964, Borumba Dam is a popular destination for recreational fishers. The dam wall is located about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) south west of Imbil.

The dam wall is 43 metres (141 ft) high and 343 metres (1,125 ft) long and holds back 45,952 megalitres (1,622.8×10^⁶ cu ft) of water when at full capacity. The surface area of the reservoir is 480 hectares (1,200 acres) and the catchment area is 465 square kilometres (180 sq mi). The uncontrolled un-gated spillway has a discharge capacity of 3,140 cubic metres per second (111,000 cu ft/s).^[1]^[3] The dam is managed by Seqwater. The dam wall was raised by 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) and completed in 1997. In 1980 Ern Grant B.Sc. M.Sc. of Ern Grants Guide to Fishes fame was instrumental in setting up a Freshwater Fish Hatchery at Borumba. The Hatchery is no longer in operation. During 2008 and 2009 the dam wall was raised by another 1.6 metres (5 ft 3 in).^[4] The second upgrade was intended to allow better management of extreme rainfall events.^[5]

According to a local councillor the spillway developed a crack after an earthquake on 1 December 1991.^[6]

In August 2021 the Queensland Government announced $22m in funding for analysis of a proposed pumped hydro-electric project, utilising a new dam built above Borumba Dam.^[7] It could store 2 GigaWatt of power running 24 hours, and may cost $14 billion.^[8]

Recreation

A range of recreation activities are permitted at Borumba Dam including boating (powered and non-powered), canoeing and kayaking, water skiing and jet skiing, fishing, camping, and walking. Picnic and barbeque facilities are available.

Naturally occurring blue-green algae blooms sometimes mean Seqwater closes access to the dam's water for public safety purposes.^[9]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Borumba Dam". Water supply: Dams and weirs. Seqwater. 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
^ Harrison, Rod; James, Ernie; Sully, Chris; Classon, Bill; Eckermann, Joy (2008). Queensland Dams. Bayswater, Victoria: Australian Fishing Network. p. 94. ISBN 978-1-86513-134-4.
^ ^a ^b "Register of Large Dams in Australia". Dams information. Australian National Committee on Large Dams. 2010. Archived from the original (Excel (requires download)) on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
^ "Spillways step up for assessment". International Dam and Power Construction. Global Trade Media. 16 June 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2012. ^{[dead link]}
^ "Borumba Dam upgrade won't include storage boost". ABC News. Australia. 9 April 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
^ Green, Glenis (30 January 2007). "Fault line on dam site". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
^ "Borumba pumped hydro project to take next step in partnership with community". Ministerial Media Statements. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
^ "New consultation round opened for giant pumped hydro project". RenewEconomy. 10 July 2024.
^ "Dam recreation shut down". The Gympie Times. 13 January 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2012.