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.[1]
Overview
[edit]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).[2] 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.[3] A $7-million grant for a temporary desalination plant was approved by the Queensland Government in February 2016.[4][5] 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.[6][7][8]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ↑ 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: 263–99. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-374711-2.01015-9. PMC 7271162 – via PMC.
…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: 127–135. 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. doi:10.4081/jlimnol.2016.1190. Retrieved 7 March 2026 – via SciSpace.com.
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