Ibis Dam is a dam built in 1906 on Ibis Creek that serves as a water supply for the town of Irvinebank, Far North Queensland, Australia.[1][2] It has a spillway height of 55 feet (17 m). Established by John Moffat, a mining entrepreneur,[3] its construction was supervised by Tom Brodie, a Scottish stonemason.[4] It is located about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) south of Irvinebank and has been providing water since its construction.

Ibis Dam
Ibis Dam
Official nameIbis Dam
CountryAustralia
LocationIrvinebank, Queensland
PurposeTown Water Supply
Opening date1906
Demolition dateDam is Operational
Owner(s)Mareeba Shire Council
Dam and spillways
Type of damMass Concrete Gravity
Height17.5m
Length56m
Spillways1
Spillway typeCentral Wall Over-Spill
Reservoir
Total capacity225 ML (7.9×10^6 cu ft)
Catchment area610 ha (1,500 acres)
Surface area4 ha (9.9 acres)

A structural investigation was initiated in 2010 on behalf of its owner, the State Government of Queensland by the Department of Environment and Resource Management. This investigation uncovered significant structural concerns with the dam after many long-held assumptions about its initial construction were found to be untrue. After 12 months of negotiations at State level, a proposal was submitted to Tablelands Regional Council to take on ownership of the dam subsequent to a State-funded upgrade. The State's alternative to this option was to decommission the dam. In January 2012 Tablelands Regional Council decided to take on ownership of the Dam and the State began preparations for its upgrade. As of December 2012 upgrade works are ongoing[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Gleed, Simon (2005). "Revegetation Guidelines and Recommendations for Gibbs Creek, Irvinebank" (PDF). Mitchell River Watershed Management Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  2. ^ "Irvinebank Heritage Town - Tropical North Queensland, Australia - HISTORY AND HERITAGE". Loudoun House Museum. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  3. ^ "Stannary Hills to Boonmoo and Stannary Hills to Irvinebank Tramway formations (entry 602355)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  4. ^ O'Callaghan, Mike. "History of Irvinebank by Mike O' Callaghan". Archived from the original on 2 December 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2010.