Coast dam drained for $24m wall upgrade

Motorists heading along Steve Irwin Way might have noticed a big drop in water levels as they passed Ewen Maddock Dam in recent weeks. SEE THE PICS

Ewen Maddock Dam looks very low compared to its normal levels for drivers passing on Steve Irwin Way. Photo: Patrick Woods

Motorists heading along Steve Irwin Way might have noticed a big drop in water levels as they passed Ewen Maddock Dam in recent weeks.

It took Seqwater two weeks to drain 4000 megalitres out of the landmark so crews could start work on the $24 million dam upgrade.

Seqwater senior project manager Nigel Smith said his team was happy with how the extra flow was managed as the level dropped from 81 per cent capacity to 60 per cent.

"We looked at alternative ways of lowering the lake and ended up selecting a series of six siphons," Mr Smith said.

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That option was chosen over the use of pumps.

"In the context of other large dams it wasn't a massive amount of water."

He said it allowed a team being led by Buderim firm Hall Contracting to start the dam wall upgrades.

Ewen Maddock Dam upgrade

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"The existing embankment wall is an earthen dam so part of the project upgrade is to install … a chimney stack filter, which is realistically a layer of sand that runs down through the centre of the embankment and that just catches any piping or potential leaks and just improves the safety of maximum flood events that are predicted in the future."

He was joined by Natural Resources Minister Dr Anthony Lynham at the construction site on Wednesday for an inspection of progress.

"The dam is progressing very well indeed," Dr Lynham said.

"I'm most excited about the number of local people being employed on this project."

Crews work to upgrade the Ewen Maddock Dam wall. Photo: Patrick Woods

He said 250 employees had been through the site since work started earlier this year.

It is due to be completed by the middle of next year.

"The upgrades are needed to strengthen the embankment and also raise the embankment," he said.

"But there is an added bonus, the recreational areas also get an upgrade."

He said dam wall upgrades at Lake Macdonald were due to start at the end of the year with the main construction and draining of the dam to start by the middle of next year.

He said the dam had been lowered from 81 per cent to 60 per cent to enable the works to progress.

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