Coolmunda Dam


The Coolmunda Dam is an earthfill embankment dam with a gated spillway across the Macintrye Brook, a tributary of the Dumaresq River, that is located in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. The main purposes of the dam are for irrigation and potable water supply. The impounded reservoir is called the Lake Coolmunda.

Location and features

The dam is located approximately east of, just off the Cunningham Highway. Two smaller creeks, Bracker Creek and Sandy Creek, also provide inflows to the reservoir.
Completed in 1968 the earthfill dam structure is high and long. The dam wall holds back the reservoir when at full capacity. From a catchment area of, the dam creates Lake Coolmunda at an elevation of above sea level, with a surface area of at a maximum depth of when at full capacity. The controlled spillway with radial gates has a discharge capacity of. The dam is managed by SunWater.

Recreational activities

There is one boat ramp, three picnic areas with good facilities as well as a caravan park. Free bush camping by the lake was once permitted. In 2013, a new camping area was opened to the public.
There are no boating restrictions in place. Parts of the lake contain stretches of standing timber and along the northern bank there are submerged fence posts the demark a former creek bed.
Eel-tailed catfish and spangled perch are found naturally in the lake's waters and the Lake Coolmunda Restocking Group Inc. stocks it with murray cod, silver perch and golden perch. The introduced species european carp has also been found in the lake. A stocked impoundment permit is required to fish in the dam.