Wivenhoe Dam

Wivenhoe Dam
The Wivenhoe Dam wall and spillway
Location of the Wivenhoe Dam in Queensland
Country	Australia
Location	South East Queensland
Coordinates	27°23′38″S 152°36′28″E / 27.39389°S 152.60778°E / -27.39389; 152.60778
Purpose	Potable water supply Flood mitigation Hydroelectricity Recreation[1]
Status	Operational
Construction began	March 1973; 51 years ago (1973-03)
Opening date	1984; 40 years ago (1984)
Operator(s)	SEQ Water
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment dam
Impounds	Brisbane River
Height	59 m (194 ft)
Height (thalweg)	23 m (75 ft) AHD
Length	2,300 m (7,500 ft)
Elevation at crest	79 m (259 ft) AHD
Dam volume	4,140×10^3 m3 (146×10^6 cu ft)
Spillways	2
Spillway type	Service, controlled crest-overflow Auxiliary
Spillway capacity	12,000 m3/s (420,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Wivenhoe Reservoir
Total capacity	1,165,238 ML (256,317×10^6 imp gal; 307,823×10^6 US gal)
Catchment area	7,020 km2 (2,710 sq mi)
Surface area	109.4 km2 (42.2 sq mi)
Wivenhoe Power Station
Operator(s)	Tarong Energy
Commission date	May 1984
Type	Pumped-storage
Turbines	2
Installed capacity	500 MW (670,000 hp)
Website www.seqwater.com.au

The Wivenhoe Dam is a rock and earth-fill embankment dam with a concrete spillway across the Brisbane River in South East Queensland, Australia. The dam takes it names from the local Wivenhoe Pocket rural community. The dam wall is located about 80 kilometres (50 mi) by road from the centre of Brisbane. The primary purpose of the dam is the supply of potable water for the Brisbane and Ipswich regions. The dam also provides for flood mitigation control, hydroelectricity, and recreation.^[1] The impounded reservoir is called Lake Wivenhoe and the dam, the lake and a narrow strip of surrounding land forms a locality also called Lake Wivenhoe.

Wivenhoe Dam was planned in the early 1970s. The 1974 Brisbane flood highlighted the need for flood protection for South East Queensland.^[2] The lake also forms part of the water storages for the Wivenhoe Power Station.