The dam is located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east of North Pine Dam and 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northwest of Petrie. The primary inflow is Sideling Creek, a tributary of the North Pine River.[3] To the east of the dam is the Lakeside Park motor racing circuit.
Completed in 1958,1[1][4] the earthfill dam structure is 23 metres (75 ft) high and 500 metres (1,600 ft) long. The 280-thousand-cubic-metre (9.9×10^6 cu ft) dam wall holds back the 14,500-megalitre (3.2×109 imp gal; 3.8×109 US gal) reservoir when at full capacity. From a catchment area of 53 square kilometres (20 sq mi) that includes the localities of Petrie, Kallangur and Dakabin, the dam creates Lake Kurwongbah, with a surface area of 320 hectares (790 acres). The uncontrolled un-gated spillway has a discharge capacity of 710 cubic metres per second (25,000 cu ft/s).[1] The dam is now managed by Seqwater.
From April 2018 to May 2020, Seqwater carried out an upgrade of Sideling Creek Dam as part of its Dam Improvement Program.[5][6]
Recreational activities
Access to Lake Kurwongbah is via Dayboro Road, with picnic facilities located at Mick Hanfling Park on the lake's eastern shores. Water skiing is allowed and rowing is another popular recreational activity provided by the dam. The lake has been used for professional level radio controlledmodel yacht competitions, although has moved more recently to a pond adjacent to the motor racing circuit at Lakeside Park. It was the proposed venue for rowing in Brisbane's failed bid for the 1992 Olympic Games.[7]
:^1. SEQ Water claims that the dam was completed in 1969, not 1958.
2 Pine Rivers Rowing Club has been Active since 1958 at this dam. The Dam level was raised in 1969, enabling the Australian Rowing Championships to be held here in 1972.
