Koombooloomba Dam
Dam in Koombooloomba, Far North Queensland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Koombooloomba Dam is a concrete gravity dam across the Tully River at Koombooloomba, west of Tully and south, southeast of Ravenshoe in Far North Queensland, Australia.[1] Built for the purpose of hydroelectric power generation, the dam creates the reservoir, Lake Koombooloomba.[2]
| Koombooloomba Dam | |
|---|---|
  Koombooloomba Dam Location of the dam wall in Queensland | |
 Interactive map of Koombooloomba Dam | |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Koombooloomba, Far North Queensland |
| Coordinates | 17°49′53″S 145°36′15″E |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1960 |
| Owner | CleanCo Queensland |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity dam |
| Impounds | Tully River |
| Height | 40 m (130 ft) |
| Length | 399 m (1,309 ft) |
| Dam volume | 790×103 m3 (28×106 cu ft) |
| Spillway type | Controlled |
| Spillway capacity | 2,120 m3/s (75,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Koombooloomba |
| Total capacity | 205,000 ML (166,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Active capacity | 186,750 ML (151,400 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 163 km2 (63 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 1,555 ha (3,840 acres) |
| Maximum water depth | 12.9 m (42 ft) |
| Kareeya Hydro Power Station | |
| Coordinates | 17°46′02″S 145°34′41″E |
| Commission date | 1957 |
| Type | Run-of-the-river |
| Pump-generators | 4 |
| Installed capacity | 86.4 MW (115,900 hp) |
| Annual generation | 472 GWh (1,700 TJ) |
| Koombooloomba Hydro Power Station | |
| Coordinates | 17°50′S 145°36′E |
| Commission date | 1999 |
| Type | Run-of-the-river |
| Pump-generators | 1 |
| Installed capacity | 7.3 MW (9,800 hp) |
| Annual generation | 22.5 GWh (81 TJ) |
Location and features
The dam was constructed by the Queensland Government Co-ordinator-General's Department in 1960. The 790-thousand-cubic-metre (28×106 cu ft) earth rock embankment dam wall is 399 metres (1,309 ft) in length and 40 metres (130 ft) high. The reservoir has a catchment area of 163 square kilometres (63 sq mi) with a controlled concrete spillway that releases up to 1,240 cubic metres per second (44,000 cu ft/s). The reservoir has a surface area of 1,555 hectares (3,840 acres) with an average depth of 12.9 metres (42 ft), and has a maximum capacity of 186,750 megalitres (151,400 acre⋅ft) of water, when full.[3]
The dam and power generation facilities are owned and operated by CleanCo Queensland.[4]
Hydroelectric power facilities
Built in 1957, and upgraded in 2008, the underground run-of-the-river Kareeya Hydro Power Station was the first hydroelectric power station constructed on the Tully River. An intake tower is located in the Tully Falls Weir – a regulating pond for the power station – which directs water down a tunnel to the turbines below Tully Falls. Kareeya has a capacity of 86.4 megawatts (115,900 hp) and generates up to 472 gigawatt-hours (1,700 TJ) annually.[5]
The run-of-the-river Koombooloomba Hydro Power Station is a dam release point situated on Koombooloomba Dam. The power station was commissioned in 1999 and has one turbo generator with a capacity of 7.3 megawatts (9,800 hp) that generates up to 22.5 gigawatt-hours (81 TJ).[6] Its location on Koombooloomba Dam in the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Wet Tropics area put into use infrastructure established when the dam was constructed in 1960.[7]
