Cressbrook Dam
| Cressbrook Dam | |
|---|---|
The dam wall and reservoir in 2008; at 12% of capacity | |
Cressbrook Dam Location of the dam in Queensland | |
Interactive map of Cressbrook Dam | |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Biarra, Somerset Region, Queensland |
| Coordinates | 27°15′50″S 152°12′30″E / 27.263852°S 152.208195°E |
| Purpose | Water supply |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1983 |
| Built by | Abigroup |
| Operator | Toowoomba Regional Council |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Earth fill dam |
| Impounds | Cressbrook Creek |
| Height (foundation) | 59 m (194 ft) |
| Length | 363 m (1,191 ft) |
| Dam volume | 1,578×103 m3 (55.7×106 cu ft) |
| Spillway capacity | 1,140 m3/s (40,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Cressbrook |
| Total capacity | 81,840 ML (66,350 acre⋅ft) |
| Active capacity | 78,700 ML (63,800 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 321 km2 (124 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 5.17 km2 (2.00 sq mi) |
| Maximum water depth | 34 m (112 ft) |
| Normal elevation | 277 m (909 ft) AHD |
The Cressbrook Dam is an earth-filled embankment dam across Cressbrook Creek, located 33 kilometres (21 mi) north-east of Toowoomba in the locality of Biarra in the Somerset Region of Queensland, Australia. Completed in 1983, the resultant reservoir, Lake Cressbrook, is one of three storages used to supply potable water to Toowoomba and the surrounding region. The dam is operated by the Toowoomba Regional Council.[1]
Overview
The dam is 59 metres (194 ft) high and 363 metres (1,191 ft) long. When full, the impounded reservoir, Lake Cressbrook,[2] has a capacity of 818,140 megalitres (663,280 acre⋅ft), of which 78,700 megalitres (63,800 acre⋅ft) are usable. The reservoir covers 517 hectares (1,280 acres) at an average depth of 15.8 metres (52 ft) and draws from a 321-square-kilometre (124 sq mi) catchment area.[1][3]
The catchment contains Perseverance Dam, that also supplies potable water to Toowoomba, which is located 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) upstream of Cressbrook Dam.[2] Cooby Dam also supplies water to Toowoomba.
In 2022, it was suggested that a pumped-storage hydroelectric project be added to the dam, to generate 400 megawatts (540,000 hp) / 4 gigawatt-hours (14 TJ).[4][5]
Fishing
A Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish in the dam.[6]
References
- ^ a b "Toowoomba's Dams - Cressbrook Dam". Toowoomba Regional Council. Archived from the original on 27 July 2008. Retrieved 2 November 2009.
- ^ a b "Layers: Locality; Mountains and ranges; Contours; Watercourses; Dams, weirs and barrages". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
- ^ "Register of Large Dams Australia-2015" (Excel. Requires download. Row 134). ANCOLD. January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ^ "Bechtel to work on 4GWh pumped hydro plant with battery storage in Queensland". Energy Storage News. 5 August 2022. Archived from the original on 6 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ "Queensland coal giant adds pumped hydro to growing energy storage mix". RenewEconomy. 7 October 2024. Archived from the original on 24 May 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
- ^ Fishing in Queensland dams? You may need a permit. Archived August 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
External links
Media related to Lake Cressbrook at Wikimedia Commons