: News Article

Water tops spillway

16/02/2004

Water is flowing over the Ross River Dam spillway for the first time in three years.

More than 17 thousand megalitres has drained into the dam from rains late last week and it’s still coming.

The dam level is a couple of centimetres over the spillway and rising. The overflow is helping to flush the downstream weirs of weed.

NQ Water Chairman Ian Hamilton said while the majority of recent rain had fallen in the city area, the large 750 sq km catchment was efficiently harvesting the bounty provided by lesser falls south of Townsville and Thuringowa.

“Falls of around 25 mm or so were recorded in the catchment on Friday when the city was getting heavy rain,” Mr Hamilton said. “Most of that was transferred into the dam thanks to the sodden conditions.

“We now easily have enough in storage for twelve months supply.“

Rain in January doubled the volume in Ross River Dam to almost 64 per cent of capacity, taking into account the reduced height of the spillway.

The spillway was lowered by 3.6 metres late last year in line with recommendations from an expert panel advising on an extensive upgrade to the dam. Capacity is expected to be reinstated before the 2005 wet season with the installation of gates.

The State Government has agreed to fund two-thirds of the upgrade which is expected to cost between $60 million and $90 million.

Meanwhile, NQ Water Rangers describe falls at Paluma Dam as the heaviest in three years. They have helped push the level of the dam to more than 50 per cent of capacity.

At around 11,500 ML, Paluma Dam is around five per cent the size of Ross River Dam at full capacity. Mr Hamilton says the Mt Spec system can be relied on to supply 20 per cent of Townsville’s and Thuringowa’s water supply.

© 2004 NQ Water