Solomon Dam
| Solomon Dam | |
|---|---|
  Solomon Dam Location of the dam in Queensland | |
 Interactive map of Solomon Dam | |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Great Palm Island, Far North Queensland |
| Coordinates | 18°43′27″S 146°35′38″E / 18.7242°S 146.594°E |
| Purpose | Potable water supply |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1977 |
| Built by | Cyril Golding Earthmovers |
| Operator | Aboriginal Shire of Palm Island |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Earth fill dam |
| Height (foundation) | 17 m (56 ft) |
| Length | 405 m (1,329 ft) |
| Dam volume | 175×103 m3 (6.2×106 cu ft) |
| Spillway type | Uncontrolled |
| Spillway capacity | 435 m3/s (15,400 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 487 megalitres (395 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 4 km2 (1.5 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 69 ha (170 acres) |
| Normal elevation | 16 m (52 ft) AHD |
The Solomon Dam is an earth-filled embankment dam located 42 kilometres (26 mi) east of Ingham, in Far North Queensland, Australia. Together with the Francis Creek Dam, the Solomon Dam is a main source of potable water for the Great Palm Island.
Overview
Completed in 1977, the dam is 17 metres (56 ft) high and 408 metres (1,339 ft) long. The resultant 487-megalitre (395 acre⋅ft) reservoir draws from a relatively-small catchment area of 4 square kilometres (1.5 sq mi). The dam is operated by the Aboriginal Shire of Palm Island.
After a sustained drought, in 2016 it was reported that Council was considering replacing the dam with a desalination plant. A $7-million grant for a temporary desalination plant was approved by the Queensland Government in February 2016. Plans for a permanent solar desalination plant were unresolved, as of March 2026[update].
Scientific studies have claimed that the dam is impacted by cyanobacteria.
See also
References
- ↑ Healy, Samantha (3 April 2016). "Palm Island's water relief". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
- ↑ "Register of Large Dams Australia-2015" (Excel. Requires download. Row 45). ANCOLD. January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ↑ Healey, Amanda (10 February 2016). "Council to consider desal plant after election". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ↑ "Palm Island to get $7m temporary desalination plant amid dwindling water supplies". ABC News. Australia. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ↑ "19 February: Improving water security for Great Palm Island" (Press release). Australian Institute of Marine Science. Australian Government. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ↑ Lara, R.J.; Islam, M.S.; Yamasaki, S.; Neogi, S.B.; Nair, G. B. (23 March 2012) [2011]. "Aquatic Ecosystems, Human Health, and Ecohydrology". Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science. pp. 263–99. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-374711-2.01015-9. ISBN 978-0-08-087885-0. PMC 7271162.
…the hospitalization of 140 children and 10 adults who drank cyanobacterially contaminated water impounded by the Solomon Dam in Australia.
- ↑ Moreira, Cristiana; Vasconcelos, Vitor; Antunes, Agostinho (2022). "Cyanobacterial Blooms: Current Knowledge and New Perspectives". Earth. 3 (1): 127–135. Bibcode:2022Earth...3..127M. doi:10.3390/earth3010010 – via ResearchGate.
- ↑ LIND, Owen; DÁVALOS-LIND, Laura; LÓPEZ, Carlos; LÓPEZ, Martín; DYBLE BRESSIE, Juli (2016). "Seasonal morphological variability in an in situ Cyanobacteria monoculture: example from a persistent Cylindrospermopsis bloom in Lake Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico" (PDF). J. Limnol. 75 (1): 75. Bibcode:2016JLimn..75..190L. doi:10.4081/jlimnol.2016.1190. Retrieved 7 March 2026 – via SciSpace.com.
Water supply in Queensland, Australia | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
 | This article about a dam or floodgate in Australia is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
 | This article about a building or structure in Queensland is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |