Paradise Dam (Queensland)
| Paradise Dam | |
|---|---|
 Location of the dam wall in Queensland
|
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| Country | Australia |
| Location | 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Biggenden, Wide Bay-Burnett region, Queensland |
| Coordinates | 25°21′04″S 151°55′10″E / 25.35111°S 151.91944°ECoordinates: 25°21′04″S 151°55′10″E / 25.35111°S 151.91944°E |
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 2005 |
| Construction cost | A$240 million |
| Owner(s) | Burnett Water |
| Operator(s) | Sunwater |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity dam |
| Impounds | Burnett River |
| Height | 37 metres (121 ft) |
| Length | 600 metres (2,000 ft) |
| Spillways | 1 |
| Spillway type | Stepped spillway chute with a smooth ogee |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Paradise Dam |
| Total capacity | 300,000 ML (6.6×1010 imp gal; 7.9×1010 US gal) |
| Catchment area | 2,951 ha (7,290 acres) |
| Maximum water depth | 38.2 m (125 ft) |
| Normal elevation | 67.6 m (222 ft) |
The Paradise Dam, also known as the Burnett River Dam, is a rock-filled gravity dam across the Burnett River, located northwest Biggenden and 80 kilometres (50 mi) southwest of Bundaberg in the Wide Bay-Burnett region of Queensland, Australia. Built for irrigation, the impoundment created by the dam is called Lake Paradise.
The concrete dam wall is up to 37.1 metres (122 ft) high and spans approximately 600 metres (2,000 ft). The dam is named for the ghost town of Paradise, which is now under water following construction.
Approval to build the dam was given in 2002. It was constructed on behalf of the Queensland Government between 2003 and 2005. The dam is owned by a government-owned corporation, Burnett Water. Since construction was completed in December 2005, it has been operated by another Queensland government-owned corporation, Sunwater. Construction of the 300,000-megalitre (6.6×1010 imp gal; 7.9×1010 US gal) capacity dam cost A$240 million to complete and was intended to assist the social and economic growth of the region.
The dam is also significant in that it has been the centre of a controversial fishway designed to allow movement of fish upstream and downstream of the dam wall, including the endangered Queensland lungfish.
When the Paradise Dam is full, water is released over a stepped spillway followed by a stilling basin. The spillway chute is 335 metres (1,099 ft) wide with a smooth ogee profile, ending a few small steps leading to 1V:0.64H–stepped chute with a step height of 0.62 metres (2 ft 0 in). The chute is followed by a stilling basin before rejoinging the natural river course.
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