Home News Floodgates open at Wivenhoe Dam

Floodgates open at Wivenhoe Dam

By AAP with AG Staff • January 13, 2011

Wivenhoe Dam spilling with all five floodgates open in October 2010 (Photo: Wikimedia/Ezykron).

Reading Time: < 1 • Print this page

Water is still pouring towards Brisbane from the Wivenhoe Dam, but at a lower rate than earlier in the week.

AUTHORITIES ARE CONTINUING to make controlled releases of 215,000 megalitres a day from Wivenhoe Dam.

The amount of water being dumped from the dam has dropped from a peak of 654,000 megalitres earlier in the week, and will be increased to 301,000 megalitres per day when the Brisbane River starts to drop.

Dam water unlikey to cause rise in river

Authorities say this increase is unlikely to cause a second significant rise in the river.

Wivenhoe Dam is currently at 187 per cent, and is dropping gradually with the releases through all five gates.

Despite the catchment area receiving only limited rainfall in the past 24 hours, the dam’s recession has been slowed due to inflows of 121,000 megalitres per day from the Somerset Dam. Somerset Dam is currently at 174 per cent. All recreations areas around Somerset and Wivenhoe Dams are closed.

A minor release of about 8,000 megalitres a day is also being made through the emergency gates at Hinze Dam on the Gold Coast.