Gold Creek Dam
| Gold Creek Dam | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | 14km West of Brisbane, Queensland |
| Coordinates | 27°27′39″S 152°52′52″E / 27.4609°S 152.881°ECoordinates: 27°27′39″S 152°52′52″E / 27.4609°S 152.881°E |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Gold Creek |
| Primary outflows | Gold Creek |
| Catchment area | 10.48 km² |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Max. length | 1.2km |
| Max. depth | 26 m |
| Water volume | 1800 ML [1] |
| References | [1] |
Gold Creek Dam is an earthen dam located on the edge of Brisbane Forest Park on the western outskirts of Brisbane, Australia. The dam holds back Gold Creek Reservoir. It is common in Australia to refer to a reservoir as a dam so the reservoir is often referred to as Gold Creek Dam.
The dam was built on Gold Creek, a tributary of Moggill Creek, to augment supplies from the recently completed Enoggera Dam. Unlike Enoggera, the Gold Creek site could supply water to the most elevated parts of the city.
It was managed by the Brisbane City Council until July 2008, but is now managed by SEQ Water.
Construction
Construction of the dam was approved in 1881. Surveying began in the same year and was completed by April 1882.[2] The dam wall was built between 1882 and 1885. Due to a lack of water, testing of the facilities was not completed until 1886.[3] Construction was more difficult than expected.[3] This caused a cost blowout and delays which lead to much criticism of the Board of Waterworks.
The construction tender was won by a firm called Ross and Dunbar, who provided the lowest cost bid and the designer was J.B. Henderson.[2] The connection to the growing Brisbane population was by a single 16 inches (41 cm), cast-iron, mains pipe that was 20 km in length.[2]
Unusual spillway
Water supply
The council had received complaints about the quality of water it was delivering from as early as 1871.[3] Although water supplied from Gold Creek was deemed to be perfectly drinkable in 1883, dry spring and summer weather resulted in the water being described as discoloured, tainted and foul-smelling.[3] In 1885, the construction of tanks was recommended to allow aeration and sedimentation. After Gold Creek dam was constructed filtration was also recommended. However nothing was initiated, partly due to the lack of a suitable location to treat water from both dams, and because wet weather in 1888 resulted in the number of complaints dropping to just a few.[3]
Access
Gold Creek Dam is reached by traveling to the end of Gold Creek Road, off Brookfield Road in Brookfield. Brisbane Transport route 435 travels hourly during weekdays from the Indooroopilly Interchange to the Resthaven aged care home at 124 Gold Creek Road, approximately 5 km from the Dam. From here to the Dam, Gold Creek Road criss-crosses Gold Creek; it is winding and somewhat narrow but generally flat and suitable for cycling or walking.
A steep walking track gives access to the top of the dam at the eastern end; alternatively a gentle vehicle track gives access to the western end of the top of the dam.
At the foot of the dam is a public toilet and an information board. The board shows a map of the dam and the walking track. No on water activities are permitted, even though the water is no longer used for supply. SEQ Water is conducting a review of access to dams due late 2010.
Walking tracks
The Gold Creek Reservoir track is described as 5.5 km long. It starts and ends at the dam and circumnavigates the reservoir. It is suitable for running and walking and MTB by a capable rider but not horse riding.
Taken clockwise and starting on the western end of the top of the dam, the first 1.5 km (approx) is generally a narrow winding track clinging to steep hillside with some climb. The next 1.5 km (approx) appears to be formed by repeated use of a quad bike and is generally wider and flatter. The next 1.5 km (approx) return path along the eastern side of the reservoir is narrow and fairly rugged, climbing and dropping repeatedly. The final 1 km (approx) back to the foot of the dam is well-formed, reasonably wide and gentle with formed steps on the steeper sections. The track finishes from the east by traversing the bottom of the spillway; it is difficult to make out from the foot of the dam.
A 1 km side-track visiting a Hoop Pine plantation is described on the information board, which also describes various notable sights on the track. As of March 2010 lantana growth has made these tough to spot. The track is very overgrown and little used and its route can no longer be seen at the northernmost point. This makes circumnavigation of the dam very difficult.
Walking and riding tracks which travel deep into Brisbane Forest Park also begin here. Gold Creek Reservoir is home to the Pinnacles Classic, a small trail running event held in mid-April which uses a hilly, roughly rectangular 18 kilometre course which utilises Gold Creek Boundary Break, South Boundary Road and the Gold Creek Trail, starting and finishing at the gate at Gold Creek Road. The event reverses direction each year, with clockwise races held in even numbered years.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Chanson, H. and Whitmore, R.L. (1998). Gold Creek Dam and its Unusual Waste Waterway (1890-1997) : Design, Operation, Maintenance. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, Vol. 25, No. 4, Aug., pp. 755-768 & Front Cover (ISSN 0315-1468).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Horton, Helen (1988). Brisbane's Back Door: The story of the D'Aguilar Range. Bowen Hills, Queensland: Boolarong Publications. p. 78. ISBN 0-86439-036-X.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Laverty, John (2008). "The politics of Brisbane's early water supply schemes". In Carolyn Fitz-Gerald. Brisbane:Water, Power and Industry Paper No. 20 (Kelvin Grove, Queensland: Brisbane History Group): 27–28. ISBN 978-0-9751793-3-8.
External links
- Gold Creek dam and its historical stepped spillway system (Cick PROCEED at th UQ-ITS advisory webpge)
- Pictures- National Library of Australia
- Photo of the spillway
- Gold Creek Dam Wall Refurbishment Project