Lake Moondarra
| Lake Moondarra | |
|---|---|
Lake Moondarra | |
Interactive map of Lake Moondarra | |
| Official name | Leichhardt River Dam |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Mount Isa, north-west Queensland |
| Coordinates | 20°34′53″S 139°34′25″E / 20.581287°S 139.573574°E |
| Purpose |
|
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1956 |
| Opening date | 6 November 1958 |
| Construction cost | A£1.7 million |
| Built by | |
| Owner | Mount Isa Mines[1] |
| Operator | Mount Isa Water Supply Board |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Rock-fill dam |
| Impounds | Leichhardt River |
| Height (foundation) | 28 m (92 ft) |
| Length | 259 m (850 ft) |
| Dam volume | 153×103 m3 (5.4×106 cu ft) |
| Spillways | 1 |
| Spillway type | Uncontrolled |
| Spillway length | 77 m (253 ft) |
| Spillway capacity | 3,539 m3/s (125,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Moondarra |
| Total capacity | 107,000 ML (87,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 1,140 km2 (440 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 23.75 km2 (9.17 sq mi) |
| Maximum water depth | 11 m (36 ft) |
| Normal elevation | 323 m (1,060 ft) AHD |
Lake Moondarra is an impounded reservoir formed by the Leichhardt River Dam, a concrete-faced rock-filled embankment dam across the Leichhardt River, located near Mount Isa in north-west Queensland, Australia. The dam was built in 1958 for the supply of potable water to the town of Mount Isa, 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) upstream, and water supply for the adjacent Mount Isa Mines (MIM) mining lease. Lake Moondarra is used for recreation purposes and includes picnic areas, pontoons, a ski jump, and water sports facilities. The lake is popular with birdwatchers, sailors and anglers.
History
Prior to the construction of the dam, the area was the location for one of Australia's largest stone axe quarries.[2] The axes were traded amongst Indigenous Australians across distances up to 1,000 kilometres (620 mi).
Construction of the Leichhardt River Dam began in 1956, was completed on 6 November 1958, and cost A£1.7 million. The dam was built for MIM and, at the time, was the largest water scheme in Australia financed by private enterprise.[3] The original construction was started by the American Utah Construction Company and Thiess Brothers completed the project.[4]
The dam is 28 metres (92 ft) high, 259 metres (850 ft) long, and holds back 107,000 megalitres (87,000 acre⋅ft) when at full capacity. The impounded reservoir covers 23.75 square kilometres (9.17 sq mi) and draws from a catchment area of 1,140 square kilometres (440 sq mi). In 1971, the uncontrolled spillway was raised 1.52 metres (5 ft 0 in) to its present height of 323 m (1,060 ft) AHD.[5][6]
On 20 October 1962, the reservoir was officially gazetted as Lake Moondarra after a 1961 competition was won by a Mount Isa local, Danny Driscoll. The Aboriginal word moondarra means "plenty of rain"[7] and also "thunder".[1]
Recreation
Transport Bay is a man-made beach on the lake, so named because sand was deposited on the banks of the lake by MIM Holdings' trucks.
Fish stocking
The dam is stocked with approximately 10,000 fingerlings annually for recreational fishing.[8] It is stocked with barramundi and sooty grunter. 22 different freshwater species inhabit the dam.[9]
The Lake Moondarra Fishing Classic was inaugurated in 1999.
Pest weed control
In 1984, a species of weevil was successfully used as a biological pest control to contain a proliferation of the weed Salvinia molesta in the lake.[10][11] The first releases were made in 1980 and the weevil destroyed tens of thousands of tonnes of weed.[12]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Lake Moondarra, you still float my boat". Resourceful. Glencore. October 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ Owoc, Mary Ann (2004). Soils, Stones and Symbols: Cultural Perceptions of the Mineral World. Psychology Press. p. 153. ISBN 184472039X. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- ^ Lake Moondarra Archived 2007-08-29 at the Wayback Machine. Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved on 10 September 2007.
- ^ Outram, Stephen (2018). Mates!. What else is possible?. p. 126. ISBN 978-0994332752.
- ^ "Register of Large Dams Australia-2015" (Excel. Requires download. Row 286). ANCOLD. January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ^ "C-MIM-CENG-PLN-Leichhardt River Dam Emergency Action Plan" (PDF). Mount Isa Mines. Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers. Queensland Government. 23 September 2025. pp. 9–10. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ "Lake Moondarra - Lake – Mount Isa City (entry 22660)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Dobson, Emily (29 January 2022). "Anglers can't believe their luck as giant barramundi bite in north-west Queensland". ABC News. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ "Five of the best outback Queensland fishing spots". RACQ. 27 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ Muniappan, Rangaswamy; Reddy, Gadi V. P.; Raman, Anantanarayanan (2009). Biological Control of Tropical Weeds Using Arthropods. Cambridge University Press. p. 396. ISBN 978-0521877916. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- ^ Matiza, T.; Chabwela, H. N. (1992). Wetlands Conservation Conference for Southern Africa: Proceedings of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference Held in Gaborone, Botswana, 3-5 June 1991. IUCN. p. 178. ISBN 2831701252. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- ^ Hangay, George; Zborowski, Paul (2010). A Guide to the Beetles of Australia. CSIRO Publishing. p. 218. ISBN 978-0643101937. Retrieved 1 January 2014.