Six Mile Creek Dam
Location and features
The dam is located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from Cooroy and 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) west of Noosa. The small settlement of Lake MacDonald is located adjacent to the dam. The primary inflow of the reservoir is Six Mile Creek.
Built in 1965 and raised by 3.6 metres in 1980, the rock and earthfill dam structure is 15.7 metres (52 ft) high and 490 metres (1,610 ft) long. The 69-thousand-cubic-metre (2.4×10 cu ft) dam wall holds back the 8,018-megalitre (1.764×10 imp gal; 2.118×10 US gal) reservoir when at full capacity. From a catchment area of 49 square kilometres (19 sq mi) that includes much of the Tewantin National Park, the dam creates Lake Macdonald, with a surface area of 260 hectares (640 acres). The uncontrolled un-gated spillway has a discharge capacity of 1,147 cubic metres per second (40,500 cu ft/s). Initially managed by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, management of the dam was transferred to Seqwater on 1 July 2008.
The dam reached its maximum recorded level of 1.97m over the spillway in February 2012.
In May 2019, Seqwater proposes to upgrade Six Mile Creek Dam (also known as Lake Macdonald Dam) as part of its Dam Improvement Program.
Recreational activities
Within proximity of the dam, horse riding, boating and canoeing are permitted. The Noosa Botanic Gardens are located on the northwestern shoreline of Lake Macdonald.
The reservoir is stocked with Mary River cod, bass, yellowbelly, saratoga and snub nosed gar with endemic populations of tandans (eel tailed catfish) and the introduced spangled perch. A stocked impoundment permit is required to fish in the dam.
Historical levels
Historical high water capacity percentages above 110% since recording began on 1 July 2008.
Date | Percentage |
---|---|
1 November 2017 | 113.4 |
8 October 2018 | 115.3 |
1 November 2020 | 119.9 |
14 February 2022 | 111.6 |
16 May 2022 | 113.4 |
30 January 2024 | 115.2 |
See also
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Lake Macdonald". Water supply: Dams and weirs. Seqwater. 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
- ^ Harrison, Rod; James, Ernie; Sully, Chris; Classon, Bill; Eckermann, Joy (2008). Queensland Dams. Bayswater, Victoria: Australian Fishing Network. ISBN 978-1-86513-134-4.
- ^ Jarratt, Phil (18 August 2020). "Chairman's choice". Noosa Today. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ^ "Lake MacDonald Dam Emergency Action Plan" (PDF).
- ^ "Lake Macdonald upgrade | Seqwater". www.seqwater.com.au. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
- ^ "Lake MacDonald - Cooroy. Qld". Sweetwater Fishing Australia. Garry Fitzgerald. 2000. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
- ^ "Do I need a permit to go fishing in a dam?". Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Queensland Government. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
- ^ "Historic Dam Levels". seqwater.com.au. seqwater. Retrieved 30 January 2024.