The Little Nerang Dam is a concrete gravity dam with an un-gated spillway across the Little Nerang Creek that is located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. The main purpose of the dam is for potable water supply of the Gold Coast region.[1][3] The impounded reservoir is also called Little Nerang Dam. The dam was closed to the public in 2013 due to safety concerns.[4]

Little Nerang Dam
Little Nerang dam site, June 1959
Little Nerang Dam is located in Queensland
Little Nerang Dam
Location of the Little Nerang Dam
in Queensland
CountryAustralia
LocationSouth East Queensland
Coordinates28°8′37″S 153°17′6″E / 28.14361°S 153.28500°E / -28.14361; 153.28500
PurposePotable water supply[1]
StatusOperational
Opening date1962 (1962)
Operator(s)SEQ Water
Dam and spillways
Type of damGravity dam
ImpoundsLittle Nerang Creek
Height44 m (144 ft)[1]
Length201 m (659 ft)[1]
Dam volume68×10^3 m3 (2.4×10^6 cu ft)[1]
Spillway typeUncontrolled
Spillway capacity570 m3/s (20,000 cu ft/s)[1]
Reservoir
Total capacity6,705 ML (1.475×109 imp gal; 1.771×109 US gal)
Catchment area35.2 km2 (13.6 sq mi)[1][2]
Surface area49 ha (120 acres)[3][2]
Website
www.seqwater.com.au

Location and features

edit

The dam is located 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) west of Tugun and 25 kilometres (16 mi) driving distance from Mudgeeraba, and is located directly upstream from the Hinze Dam. Prior to the completion of the Hinze Dam, the Little Nerang Creek Gravity Scheme supplied the water requirements of the Gold Coast area. Water flows by gravity pipeline to the Mudgeeraba Water Treatment Plant. The plant, completed in 1969, has the capacity to treat 110 megalitres (24,000,000 imp gal; 29,000,000 US gal) a day. The water then flows by gravity to the city's storage reservoirs.

Completed in 1962,[1] the rock and earthfill dam structure is 44 metres (144 ft) high and 201 metres (659 ft) long. The 68-thousand-cubic-metre (2.4×10^6 cu ft) dam wall holds back the 8,390-megalitre (1.85×109 imp gal; 2.22×109 US gal) reservoir when at full capacity. From a catchment area of 35 square kilometres (14 sq mi) that includes the Springbrook Plateau, the dam creates an unnamed reservoir with a surface area of 50 hectares (120 acres). The uncontrolled un-gated spillway has a discharge capacity of 570 cubic metres per second (20,000 cu ft/s).[1] Initially managed by Gold Coast Water, management of the dam was transferred to Seqwater in July 2008.

Recreational

edit

Recreation is not permitted at Little Nerang Dam. As of 2019, Access to Little Nerang Dam and Little Nerang Dam Road Seqwater is now restricted to SEQWater employees and residents of the road, with a large security gate blocking access.[5]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Register of Large Dams in Australia". Dams information. Australian National Committee on Large Dams. 2010. Archived from the original (Excel (requires download)) on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Little Nerang Dam". Water supply: Dams and weirs. Seqwater. 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  3. ^ a b Harrison, Rod; James, Ernie; Sully, Chris; Classon, Bill; Eckermann, Joy (2008). Queensland Dams. Bayswater, Victoria: Australian Fishing Network. ISBN 978-1-86513-134-4.
  4. ^ "Little Nerang Dam's hidden beauty revealed". Seqwater. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  5. ^ "News | Seqwater".
edit