E.J. Beardmore Dam

Beardmore Dam
The Beardmore Dam viewed from below the dam wall
E.J. Beardmore Dam is located in Queensland
E.J. Beardmore Dam
Location of the Beardmore Dam
in Queensland
Official nameE. J. Beardmore Dam
CountryAustralia
LocationSouth West Queensland
Coordinates27°54′22″S 148°38′42″E / 27.90611°S 148.64500°E / -27.90611; 148.64500
PurposeIrrigation; water supply
StatusOperational
Construction began1968
Opening date1972
Operator(s)Sunwater
Dam and spillways
Type of damEmbankment dam
ImpoundsBalonne River
Height15.2 m (50 ft)
Length2,571 m (8,435 ft)
Dam volume115×10^3 m3 (4.1×10^6 cu ft)
SpillwaysOne
Spillway typeUncontrolled
Spillway capacity5,550 m3/s (196,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
CreatesLake Kajarabie
Total capacity81,800 ML (18.0×10^9 imp gal; 21.6×10^9 US gal)[1]
Catchment area75,032 km2 (28,970 sq mi)
Surface area2,850 ha (7,000 acres)
Maximum water depth12.1 m (40 ft)
Normal elevation207.12 m (679.5 ft)

The E.J. Beardmore Dam, an earth-fill embankment dam with a concrete gravity wall across the Balonne River, is located in South West Queensland, Australia. The main purpose of the dam is for irrigation. The resultant reservoir is called Lake Kajarabie.

Location and features

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Located 17 kilometres (11 mi) north-east of St George, the dam wall was completed in 1972.

The dam wall is 15.2 metres (50 ft) high and 2,571 metres (8,435 ft) long and holds back 81,800 megalitres (18.0×10^9 imp gal; 21.6×10^9 US gal) of water when at full capacity. The surface area of the reservoir is 2,850 hectares (7,000 acres) and the catchment area is 75,032 square kilometres (28,970 sq mi). The uncontrolled spillway has a discharge capacity of 5,550 cubic metres per second (196,000 cu ft/s).[2] Lake Kajarabie has an average depth of 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in) and, when full, impounded water can back up some 75 kilometres (47 mi) along the Balonne River and almost 20 kilometres (12 mi) along the Maranoa River.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Beardmore Dam: Current Water Storage Information". Sunwater. Archived from the original on 28 May 2010.
  2. ^ "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 23 June 2014.