Fairbairn Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fairbairn Dam |
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 Location of the dam wall in Queensland
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| Country | Australia |
| Location | southwest of Emerald, Central Queensland |
| Coordinates | 23°39′00″S 148°03′56″E / 23.65000°S 148.06556°E |
| Purpose | Irrigation, water supply, flood mitigation |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1968 |
| Opening date | December 1972 |
| Operator(s) | SunWater |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Impounds | Nogoa River |
| Height | 46 m (151 ft) |
| Length | 823 m (2,700 ft) |
| Dam volume | 5,249×103 m3 (185.4×106 cu ft) |
| Spillway type | Uncontrolled |
| Spillway capacity | 15,580 m3/s (550,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Maraboon |
| Total capacity | 2,289,129 ML (5.03538×1011 imp gal; 6.04724×1011 US gal) |
| Active capacity | 1,301,000 ML (2.86×1011 imp gal; 3.44×1011 US gal) |
| Catchment area | 16,320 km2 (6,300 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 15,000 ha (37,000 acres) |
| Maximum water depth | 31.7 m (104 ft) |
| Normal elevation | 204 m (669 ft) AHD |
The Fairbairn Dam is a large dam built across the Nogoa River in Central Queensland, Australia. It is located southwest of the town of Emerald. This dam was finished in 1972. Its main job is to provide water for irrigation, which means watering crops. It also helps supply drinking water to the area and reduces flooding.
The water held back by the dam forms a huge lake called Lake Maraboon. This lake can hold about 1,301,000 megalitres of water. In 2008, it was the second-largest dam in Queensland. Lake Maraboon holds about three times more water than Sydney Harbour! The name "Maraboon" comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "where the black ducks fly."
Where is Fairbairn Dam and what does it do?
Work on the Fairbairn Dam started in 1968. It was designed by the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority. The dam was completed in December 1972. Water began to fill the dam in January 1972. It overflowed for the first time just two years later.
The dam wall is made of earth and is very big. It is 823 metres (2,700 ft) long and 46 metres (151 ft) high. The lake behind the dam, called the reservoir, collects water from a large area of 16,320 square kilometres (6,300 sq mi). The dam has a special part called an uncontrolled concrete spillway. This spillway can release a huge amount of water, about 15,580 cubic metres per second (550,000 cu ft/s), when the dam is full. When the dam overflows, the water flows into the Nogoa River.
About 300 farmers use water from the dam to grow crops like cotton and citrus fruits. The dam is quite shallow in some parts and has many trees still standing in the water. You can go boating on the lake, and there are no special rules for boats. There is also a concrete boat ramp to help you launch your boat.
Water from Fairbairn Dam is sent down the Nogoa River to a place called Selma Weir. From there, it goes to the town of Emerald. Pipelines also carry water to other towns like Blackwater, Bluff, Tieri, Dysart, and Middlemount. The dam's water also helps coal mining projects in the Bowen Basin.
The company that manages the dam and the lake is called SunWater.
How much water is in the dam?
The amount of water in Fairbairn Dam changes a lot. In July 2003, cotton farmers who relied on the dam had their water supply cut by 75%. This was because there wasn't enough water. By November 2006, the dam reached its lowest level ever, holding only 14% of its total water. Over that summer, the water levels dropped even more, to 12%, because of low rainfall and high evaporation.
However, things changed dramatically in January 2008. After a lot of heavy rain, the water in the dam overflowed the spillway for the first time in 17 years! Within two days, the water level was about 3.5 metres (11 ft) above the spillway. This meant the dam was holding 156% of its normal active capacity. The water level peaked at about 4.5 metres (15 ft) on January 22, 2008. Because of this huge overflow, 2,700 people living downstream had to leave their homes due to flooding. Just seven days before this, the lake was only 29% full!
On December 30, 2010, during the big 2010–2011 Queensland floods, Fairbairn Dam reached its highest recorded level. It held 2,289,129 ML (5.03538×1011 imp gal; 6.04724×1011 US gal) of water, which was 176% of its active capacity. The water was 5.58 metres (18.3 ft) above the spillway.
To help understand how much water this is, people often compare dam capacities to Sydney Harbour. Sydney Harbour holds about 500,000 megalitres. So, Fairbairn Dam can hold about 3 times the water of Sydney Harbour in normal conditions. During extreme floods, it can hold 4 times as much!
In December 2019, the dam was very low again, at only 9.6% capacity. This was even lower than the previous record low in December 2006. Because of this, the local council decided to keep water restrictions in place while they reviewed their plans for managing water.
Fishing in Lake Maraboon
Lake Maraboon is a great place for fishing! Many different types of fish have been put into the lake. These include barramundi, Mary River cod, southern saratoga, bass, and silver perch. You can also find other fish like Eel-tailed catfish, spangled perch, sooty grunter, and golden perch. There are also red claw crayfish in the lake.
There are some rules for fishing near the dam. You are not allowed to fish within 200 metres (660 ft) of the dam wall itself. Below the dam, the fishing ban extends for 400 metres (1,300 ft).
