Hinze Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hinze Dam |
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Spillway tower of Hinze Dam following Stage 3 upgrade, 2011
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 Location of the Hinze Dam
in Queensland |
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| Country | Australia |
| Location | South East Queensland |
| Coordinates | 28°3′2″S 153°17′2″E / 28.05056°S 153.28389°E |
| Purpose | |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date |
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| Operator(s) | SEQ Water |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Impounds | Nerang River |
| Height | 108 m (354 ft) |
| Length | 1,850 m (6,070 ft) |
| Dam volume | 4,261×103 m3 (150.5×106 cu ft) |
| Spillway type | Uncontrolled |
| Spillway capacity | 550 m3/s (19,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Advancetown Lake |
| Total capacity | 310,730 ML (6.835×1010 imp gal; 8.209×1010 US gal) |
| Catchment area | 207 km2 (80 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 1,500 ha (3,700 acres) |
| Normal elevation | 82 metres (269 ft) AHD |
The Hinze Dam is a large structure built from rock and earth. It holds back the Nerang River in the Gold Coast hinterland of South East Queensland, Queensland, Australia. Its main job is to provide drinking water for the Gold Coast area. The big lake formed by the dam is called Advancetown Lake.
The dam was named after Carl and Johanna Hinze, who were early settlers in the valley. This valley was later flooded to create the dam. The dam is usually very full, even when there isn't much rain.
Contents
Where is Hinze Dam?
The Hinze Dam is located in Advancetown. This is about 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) south-west of Nerang. It sits just below where the Nerang River and Little Nerang Creek meet.
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The dam wall is 108 metres (354 feet) high and 1,850 metres (6,070 feet) long. This huge wall holds back a massive amount of water, about 310,730 megalitres (68,350 million imperial gallons) when full. The water comes from a large area of 207 square kilometres (80 square miles). This area includes the Numinbah Valley and Springbrook Plateau. Much of this land is protected as state forests and national parks.
The dam creates Advancetown Lake, which covers an area of 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres). The dam also helps to prevent flooding in towns along the Nerang River. The dam was first managed by the Gold Coast City Council. Since 2008, it has been managed by Seqwater.
How Hinze Dam Was Built
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Plans for the dam started way back in 1947. The dam was built in stages over many years.
Stage One was finished in 1976. This first stage allowed the dam to store 42,400 megalitres (9,330 million imperial gallons) of drinking water.
Stage Two was completed in 1989. This stage greatly increased the water storage to 161,070 megalitres (35,430 million imperial gallons). To do this, the main dam wall and other parts were made about 18 metres (59 feet) taller. This made the lake's surface area much larger.
Stage Three was the biggest upgrade. Work on Stage 3 began in January 2008 and was finished in December 2011. This project cost about A$395 million. The dam wall was made even taller, from 93.5 metres (307 feet) to 108 metres (354 feet). This increased the lake's capacity to 310,730 megalitres (68,350 million imperial gallons). Stage 3 also added the important job of flood protection, not just water supply. The taller dam wall now protects about 4,500 homes from large flood events.
Fun at Hinze Dam
Advancetown Lake is a popular spot for people living on the Gold Coast. After the Stage 3 upgrade, many activities are allowed. You can go walking, boating (using electric motors or paddles), fishing, biking, and horse riding.
The facilities are open every day from 6 am to 6 pm. You cannot camp around the lake, and dogs are not allowed. Swimming is also strongly discouraged for safety reasons. An interpretive centre opened in December 2011. It has new parking, walking trails, toilets, and barbecue areas for visitors.
Some people had concerns about the final design of the dam after the upgrades. They felt there were fewer playgrounds and barbecue areas. They also noted that dogs were banned and that some facilities were far from the water.
There are two boat ramps at Advancetown Lake. One is on the eastern side in Mudgeeraba, and the other is on the western side in Springbrook. Both have platforms for launching boats and paddles, along with toilets and bins.
Fishing at the Dam
The dam is home to many types of fish. These include Mary River cod, silver perch, golden perch, southern saratoga, and bass. You can also find spangled perch naturally. Sometimes, banded grunter are caught, but these fish were illegally introduced. If you catch one, it's recommended to remove it from the lake.
To fish in the dam, you need a permit from the Gold Coast City Council. However, you do not need a special permit from the Queensland State Government for stocked impoundments.
Since December 2018, Queensland Health has advised people not to eat fish from Hinze Dam. This is because recent tests showed higher levels of mercury in the fish.
Hinze Dam and the Commonwealth Games
The Gold Coast hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The area around Hinze Dam was first suggested as the place for the mountain bike competition. A new course was built to meet the rules for international races. The Gold Coast Mountain Bike Club looks after this course. They sometimes hold races there on the first Sunday of each month.
See also
