E.J. Beardmore Dam

Beardmore Dam
The Beardmore Dam viewed from below the dam wall
Location of the Beardmore Dam in Queensland
Official name	E. J. Beardmore Dam
Country	Australia
Location	South West Queensland
Coordinates	27°54′22″S 148°38′42″E
Purpose	Irrigation; water supply
Status	Operational
Construction began	1968
Opening date	1972
Operator(s)	Sunwater
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment dam
Impounds	Balonne River
Height	15.2 m (50 ft)
Length	2,571 m (8,435 ft)
Dam volume	115×10^3 m3 (4.1×10^6 cu ft)
Spillways	One
Spillway type	Uncontrolled
Spillway capacity	5,550 m3/s (196,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Lake Kajarabie
Total capacity	81,800 ML (18.0×10^9 imp gal; 21.6×10^9 US gal)
Catchment area	75,032 km2 (28,970 sq mi)
Surface area	2,850 ha (7,000 acres)
Maximum water depth	12.1 m (40 ft)
Normal elevation	207.12 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

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). 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

• List of dams and reservoirs in Queensland