Koombooloomba Dam


The Koombooloomba Dam is a concrete gravity dam with a controlled spillway across the Tully River, located west of and south, southeast of in Far North Queensland, Australia. Built for the purpose of hydroelectric power generation, the dam creates the reservoir, Lake Koombooloomba.

Location and features

The dam was constructed by the Queensland Government Co-ordinator-General's Department in 1960. The earth rock embankment dam wall is in length and high. The reservoir has a catchment area of with a controlled concrete spillway that releases up to. The reservoir has a surface area of with an average depth of, and can hold up to of water.

Hydroelectric power facilities

Built in 1957 and most recently upgraded in 2008, the underground Kareeya Hydro Power Station was the first hydroelectric power station constructed on the Tully River. An intake tower is located in the Tully Falls Weira regulating pond for the power stationwhich directs water down a tunnel to the turbines below Tully Falls. Kareeya has a capacity of and generates up to annually.
The Koombooloomba Hydro Power Station is a dam release point situated on Koombooloomba Dam. The power station was commissioned in 1999 and has one turbo generator with a capacity of that generates up to. Its location on Koombooloomba Dam in the UNESCO World Heritagelisted Wet Tropics area finally put into use infrastructure established when the dam was constructed in 1960.