Paradise Dam in the North Burnett has gone over capacity and started spilling into the region’s waterways due to the high levels of rain in the area over the last two days, water services company Sunwater reported.
As of writing, Paradise Dam is at 114.18 per cent capacity, holding 24,596 million litres water more than its 170,000 megalitre official limit.
The dam near Biggenden in the North Burnett had stood at around 98 per cent capacity since at least the middle of July, Sunwater’s data showed.
During the morning of Tuesday, 13 August, the dam slowly began to take on more water; between 4:48pm and 5:18pm, Paradise Dam reached then exceeded its 170,000ML capacity.
By midnight of Wednesday, 14 August the dam’s capacity already stood at around 105.5 per cent, having gained nearly 10,000 megalitres – 4,000 Olympic swimming pools’ worth – of water.
As of Sunwater’s latest update dated 5pm, Paradise Dam’s capacity stands at 194,596ML or 114.18 per cent.
The inflow of new water has also risen the dam’s height level by nearly 1.5 metres.
As of noon on 14 August, dam owners Sunwater have closed the Paradise Dam boat ramp for recreation purposes “until further notice.”
Sunwater have issued an ‘Advice’-level ‘Stay Informed’ warning for Paradise Dam, saying the excess water is spilling into the Burnett River.
The water services company has gone on to claim the nearly 24.6 million litres of surplus water will not cause the Burnett River or any adjacent waterways to break its banks.
“The dam is not designed for flood mitigation purposes,” Sunwater explained back in January of 2024.
“It is designed to fill and then safely spill water once it reaches full capacity.”
However, in their 14 August alert Sunwater have warned that residents should expect “increased river flows” as a result of the spilling.
“There is no immediate danger,” Sunwater’s alert concluded.
Residents near Paradise Dam and the Burnett River were told to check the dam’s capacity frequently, monitor their local council’s emergency dashboard and stick to their flood preparation plans in the event a flood is declared.
The Burnett River catchment has experienced up to 145 millimetres of rainfall since 9am on Tuesday, 13 August, causing a number of floodwater-related road closures across the region.
To view the dam’s levels, visit sunwater.com.au/dams/paradise-dam.
To see the North Burnett Regional Council’s emergency dashboard, visit emergency.northburnett.qld.gov.au.
To read about the road closures in the North Burnett, read our story on burnetttoday.com.au/south/2024/08/14/road-flooding-warnings-after-woman-rescued.
