North Pine Dam

The dam is located north-west of Brisbane, within the Moreton Bay region, at Joyner, near the settlements of Whiteside, and Petrie.

The North Pine Dam was designed by the Department of Local Government, with the Co-ordinator General's Department supervising construction contracts headed by Transfield. The cost of the dam was {{AUD}}20 million,{{cite web|title=North Pine Dam|work=SEQWater's Dams|publisher=SEQ Water|year=2002|url=http://www.seqwater.com.au/content/standard.asp?name=NorthPineDam|access-date=11 January 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080106231431/http://www.seqwater.com.au/content/standard.asp?name=NorthPineDam|archive-date=6 January 2008}} and the dam was opened on 12 August 1976 by the Lord Mayor of Brisbane City Council, Alderman Frank Sleeman.

The concrete dam structure is {{convert|45|m}} high and {{convert|1375|m}} long. The {{convert|450|e3m3|adj=on}} dam wall holds back the {{convert|215000|ML|e9impgal+e9USgal|adj=on}} reservoir when at full capacity. From a catchment area of {{convert|347|km2}} that includes much of the south{{endash}}eastern slopes of the D'Aguilar National Park, the dam creates Lake Samsonvale at an elevation of {{convert|39.63|m|abbr=on}} above sea level, with a surface area of {{convert|2180|ha|acre}}. The gated spillway, with five steel gates, has a discharge capacity of {{convert|3700|m3/s}}. Initially managed by the Brisbane City Council and then SunWater, management of the dam was transferred to SEQ Water in July 2008 as part of a water security project in the South East Queensland region, known as the South East Queensland Water Grid.{{cite web |url=http://www.baysidebulletin.com.au/news/local/news/political/water-funds-slash-debt/805745.aspx|title=Water funds slash debt |author=Hurst, Daniel|access-date=21 April 2008|date=7 July 2009|work=The Bayside Bulletin}} The accompanying water treatment plant is also managed by SEQ Water.

Prior to the initial flooding of the valley, many of the surrounding grazing and dairy farms were compulsorily acquired, and the only evidence of these farms is now the names of roads leading to the lake's shoreline, such as Winn Road and Golds Scrub Lane. Golds Scrub Lane now leads only to the Samsonvale Cemetery; prior to the flooding of the dam, the site was also home to a church and a post office. To allow for the dam's flooding, {{convert|27|km}} of road had to be relocated and rebuilt.

In May 2007, the dam, which was providing approximately {{convert|100|ML|e3impgal+e3USgal}} per day or 20% of the region's water supply, was taken offline as a safety precaution.{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200705/1925252.htm?queensland|title=Wivenhoe, Somerset to make up North Pine Dam shortfall|access-date=2 May 2008|date=17 May 2007|work=ABC News|location=Australia}} The drought in Australia caused water levels to drop to 14% capacity, the lowest since it was built. The cessation of water supply was meant to protect the dam from potential blue green algae blooms in the coming summer months.{{cite web |url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21746883-5007200,00.html |title=North Pine Dam taken offline|author=Thompson, Tuck|access-date=2 May 2008|date=17 May 2007|work=The Courier-Mail|location=Queensland }} The operators continued to release between {{convert|8|-|10|ML|e6impgal+e6USgal}} per day to service the North Pine River.

The North Pine Dam was designed with little flood mitigation capacity in mind, being designed only for water storage. As such, during flood seasons the location of the dam spillway causes the flooding and closure of Youngs Crossing Road. Flood conditions last affected the dam catchment in October 2010, and prior to that 1991, 1989 and 2000 & 2009.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}} The dam wall is also one of the few in Queensland to be located upstream of a large urban area, and in the event of overtopping or dam failure, Geoscience Australia suggests that the downstream urban population would be flooded within three hours.{{cite journal|author1=Middelmann, Miriam|author2=Harper, Bruce|author3=Lacey, Rob|title=Natural Hazards and the risks they pose to South-East Queensland - 2001|journal=Geoscience Australia|publisher=Australian Government|date=11 March 2003|url=http://www.ga.gov.au/image_cache/GA4210.pdf|type=PDF|access-date=11 January 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829014616/http://www.ga.gov.au/image_cache/GA4210.pdf|archive-date=29 August 2008|df=dmy-all}}

Recreational use of the lake and its surrounding bushland reserve is severely limited, with prohibited recreational activities including swimming, water skiing, diving, mountain biking, horse riding, canoeing and kayaking, camping, and bushwalking. Picnic facilities are available at four locations around the dam,{{cite web|title=Lake Samsonvale - Recreation Areas|work=SEQ Water |year=2002|url=http://www.seqwater.com.au/content/standard.asp?name=Map_SamsonvaleLake|access-date=11 January 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071019024451/http://www.seqwater.com.au/content/standard.asp?name=Map_SamsonvaleLake|archive-date=19 October 2007}} with access prohibited outside of daylight hours.

For many years fishing was banned in the dam. Lake Samsonvale has been stocked by Pine Rivers Fish Stocking Association www.prfma.com.au with fresh water fish, including spangled perch, snub-nosed garfish, golden perch, silver perch, eastern freshwater cod, saratoga and Australian bass, with varying levels of success. The dam is also home to the noxious species tilapia which is a fine eating sportfish in its larger sizes but tends to overpopulate and stunt if uncontrolled, as well as a population of Australian red claw crayfish,{{cite web|last=Fitzgerald|first=Garry|title= Lake Samsonvale ( North Pine Dam) - Petrie. Qld|work=Sweetwater Fishing Australia|date=22 October 2007|url=http://www.sweetwaterfishing.com.au/Samsonvale.htm|access-date=11 January 2008}} usually native only to Northern Queensland. Both the tilapia and red claw species are the target of considerable local effort for their capture and complete removal.{{cite book |title=Queensland Dams |author1=Harrison, Rod|author2=James, Ernie|author3=Sully, Chris|author4=Classon, Bill|author5=Eckermann, Joy|year=2008|publisher=Australian Fishing Network|location=Bayswater, Victoria|isbn=978-1-86513-134-4|pages=132–133 }}

Like various other Queensland freshwater fisheries, a stocked impoundment permit is required to fish in North Pine Dam.{{cite web|url=http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/permits-dams/stocked-impoundment-permit|title=Do I need a permit to go fishing in a dam?|work=Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry|publisher=Queensland Government|date=5 February 2013|access-date=4 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704083953/http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/permits-dams/stocked-impoundment-permit|archive-date=4 July 2014|url-status=dead}}

All boating on the lake is prohibited except through two groups. The Lake Samsonvale Water Sports Association and the stocking group [http://www.prfma.com.au Pine Rivers Fish Stocking Association] have 300 permits to release each year for non petrol powered craft to members of the public for a small licence fee {{cite web|title=Recreation policies – SEQWater Lakes|work=SEQ Water|year=2002|url=http://www.seqwater.com.au/content/standard.asp?name=RecreationalPolicies|access-date=11 January 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071019024740/http://www.seqwater.com.au/content/standard.asp?name=RecreationalPolicies|archive-date=19 October 2007}}

{{stack|{{portal|Queensland|Water}}}}

• List of dams in Queensland

{{Reflist}}

{{WaterQueensland |state=autocollapse}}

Category:1976 establishments in Australia

Category:Dams completed in 1976

Category:Dams in Queensland

Category:Gravity dams

Samsonvale, Lake

Category:Shire of Pine Rivers

Category:South East Queensland