Cooby Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cooby Dam |
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Boat ramp, 2014
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 Location of the Cooby Dam in Queensland
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| Country | Australia |
| Location | Darling Downs, Queensland |
| Coordinates | 27°23′09″S 151°56′24″E / 27.38583°S 151.94000°E |
| Purpose | |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began |
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| Opening date |
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| Operator(s) | Toowoomba Region Council |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Impounds | Cooby Creek |
| Height | 30 m (98 ft) |
| Length | 207 m (679 ft) |
| Dam volume | 71×103 m3 (2.5×106 cu ft) |
| Spillway type | Uncontrolled |
| Spillway capacity | 680 m3/s (24,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Cooby Creek Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 23,092 ML (5.080×109 imp gal; 6.100×109 US gal) |
| Active capacity | 19,703 ML (4.334×109 imp gal; 5.205×109 US gal) |
| Inactive capacity | 1,462 ML (0.322×109 imp gal; 0.386×109 US gal) |
| Catchment area | 159–169 km2 (61–65 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 301 ha (740 acres) |
| Maximum water depth | 12.5 m (41 ft) |
| Normal elevation | 482 m (1,581 ft) AHD |
The Cooby Dam is a large structure in Queensland, Australia. It was built across the Cooby Creek, which flows into the Condamine River. The main job of Cooby Dam is to provide clean drinking water for the Toowoomba area. The big lake formed by the dam is called the Cooby Creek Reservoir.
Contents
About Cooby Dam
Where is Cooby Dam?
Cooby Dam is located about 17 kilometres (11 mi) north of the city of Toowoomba. It is one of three important dams that supply water to Toowoomba. The other two are Perseverance Dam and Cressbrook Dam.
How Cooby Dam Works
The dam was finished in 1942. It is a type of dam called a rock-fill embankment dam. This means it's made mostly of rocks and earth. The dam wall is 30 metres (98 ft) high and 207 metres (679 ft) long.
The dam holds back a huge amount of water. When it's full, the reservoir can hold 23,092 megalitres (815.5×106 cu ft) of water. This water comes from a large area of land called a catchment area, which is about 169 square kilometres (65 sq mi) big. The lake itself covers an area of 301 hectares (740 acres) and can be up to 12.5 metres (41 ft) deep.
The dam has a special part called a spillway. This is like a giant overflow channel. If too much water fills the dam, the spillway lets the extra water flow out safely. This spillway can release 680 cubic metres per second (24,000 cu ft/s) of water. The Toowoomba Region Council looks after the dam.
Water Supply Challenges
Sometimes, during very dry periods, the water level in Cooby Dam can get very low. For example, in January 2010, the dam had only 8% of its usable water left.
In 2006, there was a big discussion about adding recycled water to Cooby Dam. However, people voted against the idea. Later, in 2007, the Toowoomba City Council thought about building a special water treatment plant near the dam. This plant would have tested how to safely reuse treated water for drinking.
During a drought in 2008, extra water was needed. So, an emergency bore (a deep hole in the ground) was used. This helped to get more water from the Great Artesian Basin to add to the dam's supply.
Fun Activities
If you like to fish, you can do that at Cooby Dam! Just remember, you need a special permit to fish in the dam.
