SAFETY ALERT! Flooding
SAFETY ALERT! Flooding
GAWB owns and operates Awoonga Dam on the Boyne River, which is a 30-minute drive south of Gladstone in Central Queensland. Water extracted from Awoonga Dam is transported to GAWB customers, including Gladstone Regional Council, through a network of water pipelines, treatment plants and other bulk water distribution infrastructure.
GAWB has a water allocation of 78,000 mega litres per annum (ML p.a.) from the Boyne River catchment, granted under the Water Act. This means we can extract a maximum of 78,000 ML p.a. from Awoonga Dam for supply to customers.
Fast facts
Awoonga Dam collects water which falls from the Boyne River catchment, which is approximately 2,230km². If rain falls outside this catchment, such as in Gladstone or surrounding towns, it does not flow into Awoonga Dam.
Due to the limited development within the Awoonga Dam catchment, the water quality is relatively stable and consistent. Read more about our water quality and water supply.
Awoonga Dam relates to the infrastructure such as the dam wall, which enables water to be stored in the lake. Lake Awoonga refers to the body of water which people can visit to swim, fish etc.
Check out the map of Lake Awoonga
The Lake Awoonga recreational areas were established in the 1980s and have been regularly upgraded and maintained by Gladstone Area Water Board ever since. These recreational areas include Riverston Bay, Ironbark Gully, Boynedale Bush Camp, Boynedale Rail Trail. The impressive native fish hatchery, Aquaculture Gladstone, is also located at Lake Awoonga near lookout one.
Check out our useful information about fishing and camping at Lake Awoonga, staying safe on the water, and opening times for Aquaculture Gladstone.
Gladstone Area Water Board was established in 1973 to own and operate Awoonga Dam.
Water from Awoonga Dam is safely and reliably delivered to customers, including the Gladstone Regional Council via our network of pipelines and infrastructure. Find out more about GAWB’s water supply.
Gladstone delivers significant economic benefit to Queensland and Australia, with considerable heavy industry including aluminum, liquified natural gas and energy production. A single source of water from Boyne River via Awoonga Dam, is a water security risk for the region. Recognising this risk in 2021 the Queensland Government approved a second supply of water from the Fitzroy River, transported to Gladstone via the Fitzroy to Gladstone Pipeline (FGP). The FGP was approved for construction in 2023.
When the FGP is operational, water security for the region will be greatly enhanced with two sources of water – Fitzroy River water and Boyne River water from Awoonga Dam.
Water from the Fitzroy River will blend with Boyne River water in GAWB’s network of pipelines. Read more about the FGP.
Awoonga Dam is a concrete faced rockfill dam with an ungated concrete gravity spillway.
Other infrastructure located at the dam wall includes a pump station, auxiliary intake tower, gantry crane, substation, outlet conduit and the start of our network of pipelines which run throughout the region.
The history of Awoonga Dam is closely tied to the growth and prosperity of the Gladstone region.
Before Awoonga Dam, Gladstone sourced water from locations such as: Happy Valley Creek Dam (Reg Tanna Park) (1862), Railway Dam (1897) and Tondoon Creek Dam (1916).
When construction of QAL began in the 1960’s, quadrupling Gladstone’s population, the town’s water supply of the time – the Pike’s Crossing scheme – proved hopelessly inadequate.
And so, plans were made to construct Awoonga Weir, which later became Awoonga Dam.
1965-67
Construction of the Awoonga Weir on the Boyne River began in 1965.
The permanent wall was completed in November 1967.
1970
The Awoonga Weir was raised to 17.9m to provide more water for rising demand.
1973
In recognition of the region’s growing industrial sector, Gladstone Area Water Board was established to own and operate Awoonga Dam. To help the region reach its full potential, a coordinated approach to safe, reliable bulk water supply was required.
1975-77
Awoonga Weir was raised again to its maximum possible height. This weir was submerged in Lake Awoonga with the building of the new high dam wall.
1981-84
Construction started to raise the Awoonga Dam wall to 30m above sea level. Construction was completed in 1985.
2002
Second raising of the Awoonga Dam to 40m above sea level completed.
2003
Dam fell to its lowest level ever at 7.44% capacity.
2013
Awoonga Dam overflowed 8.3m over the spillway after Cyclone Oswald rainfall impacted the region. This was the largest flood on record for the region.
2015
Additional saddle dam works completed to manage future flood events.
2017
Cyclone Debbie rainfall caused water in Awoonga Dam to overflow over the spillway.
