Address & Contact
Fairbairn Dam Rd
Gindie QLD 4702
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The Fairbairn Dam is an earthfilled embankment dam across the Nogoa River. Commenced in 1968, the dam was engineered by Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority and completed in December 1972 for the purposes of irrigation and water storage. The body of water is called Lake Maraboon, meaning "where the black ducks fly."
Water from the Fairbairn Dam is released down the Nogoa River to the Selma Weir for supply to the town of Emerald. Supplies are diverted by pipelines to the towns of Blackwater, Bluff, Tieri, Dysart and Middlemount. Water from the dam also supplies coal mining developments on the Bowen Basin.
On 18 January 2008 water in the reservoir overflowed the dam spillway for the first time in 17 years. The water level peaked at about 4.5 metres above the spillway crest on 22 January 2008. Downstream 2,700 residents had to be evacuated due to flooding. Seven days earlier, the lake was operating at 29% of full capacity. From 2016 to 2020 $170 million was spent on a spillway upgrade.
For recent water levels see;
https://storagelevels.sunwater.com.au/win/reports/win_storages.htm