Recent rainfall is continuing to benefit dams across the region with Fred Haigh Dam the latest catchment to reach 100 per cent capacity in the past week.
Located on the Kolan River about 20 kilometres north of Gin Gin, it is the main source of water for the Kolan sub-scheme within Sunwater’s Bundaberg Water Supply Scheme.
Fred Haigh Dam has a storage capacity of 562,000 mega litres which reached 100.1 per cent on Friday morning.
The results are a stark contrast to two weeks prior, when then dam recorded just 53 per cent on 11 May.
A Sunwater spokesperson said it was good news for the region.
“Sunwater is pleased to have received good rainfall in recent months that has provided a boost to many of its storages in regional Queensland,” the spokesperson said.
“Bundaberg’s Burnett sub-scheme, which includes Paradise Dam, is also at 100 per cent for both high and medium priority allocations.
“These inflows will enhance water security in the Bundaberg and Burnett region for some time.
“Sunwater understands the importance of water for regional communities and is happy some landholders will have received water for their storages.”
Paradise Dam is currently at a reduced capacity but is set to return to its full 300,000-megalitre capacity after the announcement in February this year that the restoration project was fully funded between the State and Federal Governments.
History of Fred Haigh Dam
Fred Haigh Dam last spilled on 24 February 2018 when storage reached 103 per cent capacity.
On 31 October 2021 the dam was at 35 per cent capacity, its lowest level in 11 years.
The dam had a historical low of 3.29 per cent in 2003 and a historical high of 181.5 per cent in 2013 when the region was devastated by the January floods.
According to Sunwater, Fred Haigh Dam was completed in 1974 as part of the first stage of the Bundaberg Water Supply Scheme.
“It was originally called Monduran Dam but the name was changed in 1979 to honour Irrigation and Water Supply Commissioner Fred Haigh who was a driving force behind the project.
“Haigh died in 1974 before the dam was finished.
“The storage formed by the dam is still known as Lake Monduran.”
