The dam is located approximately 13 km (8.1 mi) east of Inglewood, just off the Cunningham Highway. Two smaller creeks, Bracker Creek and Sandy Creek, also provide inflows to the reservoir.
Completed in 1968 the earth–fill dam structure is 18.6 metres (61 ft) high and 2,286 metres (7,500 ft) long. The 690-thousand-cubic-metre (24×10^6 cu ft) dam wall holds back the 69,090-megalitre (15.20×10^9 imp gal; 18.25×10^9 US gal) reservoir when at full capacity. From a catchment area of 1,735 square kilometres (670 sq mi), the dam creates Lake Coolmunda at an elevation of 314.07 metres (1,030.4 ft) above sea level, with a surface area of 1,650 hectares (4,100 acres) at a maximum depth of 16.1 metres (53 ft) when at full capacity. The controlled spillway with radial gates has a discharge capacity of 6,860 cubic metres per second (242,000 cu ft/s).[1] The dam is managed by SunWater.[2][3]
Recreational activities
There is one boat ramp, three picnic areas with good facilities as well as a caravan park.[3] Free bush camping by the lake was once permitted. In 2013, a new camping area was opened to the public.[5]
There are no boating restrictions in place.[3] Parts of the lake contain stretches of standing timber and along the northern bank there are submerged fence posts the demark a former creek bed.[3]
Eel-tailed catfish and spangled perch are found naturally in the lake's waters and the Lake Coolmunda Restocking Group Inc. stocks it with murray cod, silver perch and golden perch.[3] The introduced species european carp has also been found in the lake.[6] A stocked impoundment permit is required to fish in the dam.[7]
^ abcdef"Coolmunda Dam"(PDF). Dams: owned or designed by SunWater (PDF). SunWater. 2011. Archived from the original(PDF) on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
^ abcdefgHarrison, Rod; James, Ernie; Sully, Chris; Classon, Bill; Eckermann, Joy (2008). Queensland Dams. Bayswater, Victoria: Australian Fishing Network. pp. 86–87. ISBN978-1-86513-134-4.
