Burdekin Dam
| Burdekin Dam | |
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Burdekin Dam, 2009
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 Location of the Burdekin Dam wall in Queensland
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| Official name | Burdekin Falls Dam |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | North Queensland |
| Coordinates | 20°38′33″S 147°08′27″E / 20.64250°S 147.14083°ECoordinates: 20°38′33″S 147°08′27″E / 20.64250°S 147.14083°E |
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Opening date | 1987 |
| Owner(s) | SunWater |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity dam |
| Impounds | Burdekin River |
| Height | 55 m (180 ft) |
| Length | 876 m (2,874 ft) |
| Dam volume | 646×103 m3 (22.8×106 cu ft) |
| Spillways | 1 |
| Spillway type | Uncontrolled |
| Spillway capacity | 64,600 m3/s (2,280,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Dalrymple |
| Total capacity | 1,860,000 ML (410×109 imp gal; 490×109 US gal) |
| Catchment area | 114,220 km2 (44,100 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 220 ha (540 acres) |
| Maximum water depth | 40 m (130 ft) |
| Normal elevation | 154 m (505 ft) |
The Burdekin Dam, officially the Burdekin Falls Dam, is a concrete gravity dam with an uncontrolled spillway across the Burdekin River, located south west of Ayr, and Home Hill in North Queensland, Australia. Built for the purpose of irrigation, the reservoir, called Lake Dalrymple. Burdekin Dam is managed by SunWater. Water from the reservoir is also used to replenish downstream aquifers.
The dam wall is 876 metres (2,874 ft) long and has a 504-metre (1,654 ft) spillway, and a drop of 37 metres (121 ft). The reservoir holds 1,860,000 megalitres (410×109 imp gal; 490×109 US gal) at full capacity. The design allows for future storage capacity increases and potential for hydro-electricity generation. Plans are in place to increase the safety of this dam in an extreme rainfall event by increasing the spillway capacity. This project is scheduled for completion over the next 5 to 20 years.
The catchment area for the dam extends north to the Seaview Range west of Ingham, south to the Drummond Range near Alpha through the Suttor and Belyando Rivers, southeast to the coastal ranges west of Mackay, and west beyond Charters Towers to the Lolworth, Montgomery and Stopem Blockem Ranges through the Clarke River.
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