Six Mile Creek Dam

The Six Mile Creek Dam (more commonly known as Lake MacDonald) is a rock and earth-fill embankment dam with an un-gated spillway across the Six Mile Creek that is located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. The main purposes of the dam are for potable water supply of the Sunshine Coast region[3] and for recreation.[1] The impounded reservoir is called Lake Macdonald, named in memory of former Noosa Shire Council Chairman Ian MacDonald.[4]

Six Mile Creek Dam
Six Mile Creek Dam spillway in 2021
Six Mile Creek Dam is located in Queensland
Six Mile Creek Dam
Location of the Six Mile Creek Dam
in Queensland
CountryAustralia
LocationSouth East Queensland
Coordinates26°22′52″S 152°55′48″E
Purpose
StatusOperational
Opening date1965 (1965)
Operator(s)SEQ Water
Dam and spillways
Type of damEmbankment dam
ImpoundsSix Mile Creek
Height15.7 m (52 ft)[1]
Length490 m (1,610 ft)[1]
Dam volume69×10^3 m3 (2.4×10^6 cu ft)[1]
Spillway typeUncontrolled
Spillway capacity1,147 m3/s (40,500 cu ft/s)[1]
Reservoir
CreatesLake Macdonald
Total capacity8,018 ML (1.764×109 imp gal; 2.118×109 US gal)[2][3]
Catchment area49 km2 (19 sq mi)[1][2]
Surface area260 ha (640 acres)[2][3]
Website
www.seqwater.com.au

Location and features

The dam is located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from Cooroy and 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) west of Noosa. The small settlement of Lake MacDonald is located adjacent to the dam. The primary inflow of the reservoir is Six Mile Creek.[3]

Built in 1965[1] and raised by 3.6 metres in 1980, the rock and earthfill dam structure is 15.7 metres (52 ft) high and 490 metres (1,610 ft) long. The 69-thousand-cubic-metre (2.4×10^6 cu ft) dam wall holds back the 8,018-megalitre (1.764×109 imp gal; 2.118×109 US gal) reservoir when at full capacity. From a catchment area of 49 square kilometres (19 sq mi) that includes much of the Tewantin National Park, the dam creates Lake Macdonald, with a surface area of 260 hectares (640 acres). The uncontrolled un-gated spillway has a discharge capacity of 1,147 cubic metres per second (40,500 cu ft/s).[1][5] Initially managed by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, management of the dam was transferred to Seqwater in July 2008.

The dam reached its maximum recorded level of 1.97m over the spillway in February 2012.

In May 2019, Seqwater proposes to upgrade Six Mile Creek Dam (also known as Lake Macdonald Dam) as part of its Dam Improvement Program.[6]

Recreational activities

Within proximity of the dam, horse riding, boating and canoeing are permitted. The Noosa Botanic Gardens are located on the northwestern shoreline of Lake Macdonald.

The reservoir is stocked with Mary River cod, bass, yellowbelly, saratoga and snub nosed gar with endemic populations of tandans (eel tailed catfish) and the introduced spangled perch.[3][7] A stocked impoundment permit is required to fish in the dam.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Register of Large Dams in Australia". Dams information. Australian National Committee on Large Dams. 2010. Archived from the original (Excel (requires download)) on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  2. "Lake Macdonald". Water supply: Dams and weirs. Seqwater. 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  3. Harrison, Rod; James, Ernie; Sully, Chris; Classon, Bill; Eckermann, Joy (2008). Queensland Dams. Bayswater, Victoria: Australian Fishing Network. ISBN 978-1-86513-134-4.
  4. Jarratt, Phil (18 August 2020). "Chairman's choice". Noosa Today. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  5. "Lake MacDonald Dam Emergency Action Plan" (PDF).
  6. "Lake Macdonald upgrade | Seqwater". www.seqwater.com.au. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  7. "Lake MacDonald - Cooroy. Qld". Sweetwater Fishing Australia. Garry Fitzgerald. 2000. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  8. "Do I need a permit to go fishing in a dam?". Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Queensland Government. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
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