| Atkinson Dam | |
|---|---|
| Dam wall | |
| Location | 22 km north east of Gatton, Queensland |
| Lake type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Buaraba Creek |
| Primary outflows | Evaporation |
| Catchment area | 4,105 km2 (1,585 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Max. length | 4.2 km |
| Max. width | 2.5 km |
| Surface area | 556 ha |
| Max. depth | 9 m |
| Water volume | 30,500 ML [1][2] |
| Shore length1 | 14.4 km |
| Surface elevation | 65.7 m |
| References | [1][2] |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Atkinson Dam was a natural lagoon near Lowood in Queensland, prior to the construction of the dam wall in 1970. It has a surface area of 550 ha and holds some 30,500 ML of water for irrigation purposes. The reservoir is one of a number of small dams built in the Lockyer Valley. The primary inflow is Buaraba Creek, a tributary of Lockyer Creek.
The dam is connected to Seven Mile Lagoon via a 1.2 km (0.75 mi) channel. Facilities at the dam include two boat ramps, picnic tables and two caravan parks. A maximum a 15 boats are permitted on the lake at any one time.[3] In mid 2006 the dam was empty due to drought conditions in Australia.[4]
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Fish stocking of silver perch, bass, southern saratoga and golden perch has resulted in an excellent fishery, although the dry periods, high evaporation rates and drawdowns for irrigation in summer, result in low water levels as well as oxygen depleted water which makes fishing much more difficult.[3] Other fish that are present includes eel-tailed catfish and spangled perch.