Wyaralong Dam — the Dam That Changed a Rural Landscape

Today, Wyaralong Dam (QLD) sits peacefully among the hills north-west of Beaudesert. But this enormous lake is a relatively recent addition to the landscape - created during one of Queensland’s worst water crises.

The story begins with the Millennium Drought. During the 2000s, South East Queensland experienced severe water shortages, prompting the Queensland Government to investigate new sources of water storage.

Wyaralong, on Teviot Brook, a tributary of the Logan River, was selected as the preferred site for a major new dam in 2006.

The plan was for Wyaralong to operate with Cedar Grove Weir, improving the reliability of South East Queensland's water supply. Together, the system was expected to provide a yield of up to 21,000 megalitres a year.

Construction began in January 2010, and the dam wall was completed in January 2011. The reservoir has a full-supply capacity of approximately 102,883 megalitres and covers about 1,233 hectares when full.

BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FARMS?

Creating the reservoir affected 18 properties.

The official Environmental Impact Statement records that two complete properties and parts of nine other privately owned properties were required for the project. A further eight affected properties were already owned by the Queensland Government.

For the people living and farming in the district, the impact went well beyond a property boundary.

Land was acquired or affected, farm infrastructure and access arrangements changed, and established connections to the surrounding landscape were disrupted.

The Australian Senate inquiry heard evidence from affected landholders, including members of the Taylor and Witt families. The Coordinator-General also recognised social impacts including uncertainty, emotional impacts and the disruption of family history and ties.

The project also required approximately 10.7 kilometres of road relocation, changing an important part of the local road network.

But not everything was lost.

Two important historic properties, Wyaralong Homestead and The Overflow, were outside the inundation area and were not affected by the dam's flooding.

Wyaralong had originally been an outstation of Dugandan Station before being purchased by Colin Philp in 1906.

The Overflow had been associated with the Joyce family for four generations before it was sold in 2005.

AND THEN CAME THE RAIN...

The new dam didn't have to wait long to prove itself.

The wall was plugged on 17 December 2010. Just 25 days later, following extraordinary rainfall associated with the January 2011 floods, Wyaralong reached full supply and began spilling.

More than 17,300 megalitres passed over the spillway during the first 24 hours of spilling.

That's more than 17 billion litres in a single day!

Today, Wyaralong is also an important recreation area, attracting visitors for camping, walking, mountain biking, horse riding, fishing and boating.

And there's an interesting twist to its story: Wyaralong Dam was completed in 2011 in response to the Millennium Drought, but it is not currently used for water supply.

However, that could soon change. Seqwater is now planning a new water treatment plant and pipeline connection to the SEQ Water Grid, which would make Wyaralong an additional source of drinking water for South East Queensland. The project is currently progressing through planning and procurement, with first water currently targeted for 2032, subject to approvals and delivery.

So when you look across Wyaralong Dam today, you're not simply looking at a beautiful lake.

Beneath the water and around its shoreline is a story of drought, engineering, farming, families, roads and a rural landscape permanently reshaped by Queensland's search for water security.

A dam can create a lake - but it can also change the history of a valley.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING: Queensland Government, Wyaralong Dam Environmental Impact Statement (2007); Queensland Government Coordinator-General, Wyaralong Dam Coordinator-General's Report on EIS (2008); Queensland Government, Wyaralong Dam project records; Seqwater, Wyaralong Dam; Parliament of Australia, Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee, Traveston Crossing Dam and Wyaralong Dam inquiry; Queensland Government parliamentary records.