North Pine Dam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lake Samsonvale | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | Moreton Bay, Queensland |
| Coordinates | |
| Lake type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | North Pine River |
| Primary outflows | North Pine River |
| Catchment area | 348 km² |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Water volume | 214 960 ML [1] |
| Surface elevation | 39.63 m |
| Settlements | Whiteside, Joyner |
| References | [1] |
North Pine Dam is built across the North Pine River, north-west of Brisbane, within Moreton Bay in Queensland, Australia.
The damming of North Pine River created an artificial lake called Lake Samsonvale to secure a supply of drinking water for the Moreton Bay region and Brisbane's northern suburbs.
Contents |
[edit] Design and capacity
The North Pine Dam is a mass concrete dam designed by the Department of Local Government, with the Co-ordinator General's Department supervising construction contracts. The cost of the dam was $A20 million.[2]
Its dam wall is 580 metres long and 40 metres high, with a central concrete spillway section on which five steel gates are installed.
The dam has a storage capacity of 215,000 megalitres with a catchment area of 348 km². During 2006, the level of North Pine Dam has predominately been below 30% of its capacity.
[edit] History
The North Pine Dam opened on 12 August 1976 by the Lord Mayor of Brisbane City Council, Alderman Frank Sleeman. The accompanying water treatment plant is also managed by Brisbane City Council.
The dam meant that many of the surrounding grazing and dairy farms were compulsorily acquired, and the only evidence of these farms is now the names of roads leading to the lake's shoreline, such as Winn Road and Golds Creek Road. Golds Creek Road now leads only to the Samsonvale Cemetery; prior to the flooding of the dam, the site was also home to a church and a post office.
To allow for the dam's flooding, 27 kilometres of road had to be relocated and rebuilt.[2]
[edit] Flood mitigation
The North Pine Dam was designed with little flood mitigation capacity in mind, being designed only for water storage. As such, during flood seasons the location of the dam spillway causes the flooding and closure of Youngs Crossing Road.[2]
Flood conditions last affected the dam catchment in 2000, and prior to that 1991 and 1989.
The dam wall is also one of the few in Queensland to be located upstream of a large urban area, and in the event of overtopping or dam failure, Geoscience Australia suggests that the downstream urban population would be flooded within three hours.[3]
[edit] Recreational uses
Recreational use of the lake and its surrounding bushland reserve is severely limited, with prohibited recreational activities including swimming, water skiing, diving, mountain biking, horse riding, canoeing and kayaking, camping, and bushwalking.[4]
Picnic facilities are available at four locations around the dam,[5] with access prohibited outside of daylight hours.
[edit] Fishing
Lake Samsonvale has been stocked with fresh water fish, including spangled perch, snub-nosed garfish, golden perch, Silver Perch, eastern freshwater cod, saratoga and Australian bass, with varying levels of success. The dam is also home to the noxious species tilapia which is a fine eating sportfish in its larger sizes but tends to overpopulate and stunt if uncontrolled. The dam is also home to a population of Australian red claw crayfish,[6] usually native only to Northern Queensland.
A council permit is required to fish in the dam.[7]
[edit] Boating
All boating on the lake is prohibited except through the Lake Samsonvale Water Sports Association.[4]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ a b SEQ Water:Current Dam Levels
- ^ a b c North Pine Dam. SEQWater's Dams. SEQWater (2002). Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
- ^ (2003-03-11). "Natural Hazards and the risks they pose to South-East Queensland - 2001" (PDF). . Geoscience Australia Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
- ^ a b Recreation Policies – SEQWater Lakes. Public Activities. SEQWater (2002). Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
- ^ Lake Samsonvale - Recreation Areas. Public Activities. SEQWater (2002). Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Garry (22 October 2007). Lake Samsonvale ( North Pine Dam) - Petrie. Qld. Sweetwater Fishing Locations. Sweetwater Fishing Australia. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
- ^ Fishing in Queensland dams? You may need a permit. Fisheries. Queensland Government Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (3 January 2008). Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
