Lake Moondarra

Lake Moondarra is an artificial lake on the Leichhardt River in Queensland, Australia, 16 km downstream from the town of Mount Isa. It provides water to the city and the adjacent Mount Isa Mines (MIM) mining lease.

Lake Moondarra
Lake Moondarra
Location	19 km (12 mi) North East of Mount Isa, Queensland
Coordinates	20.5826°S 139.570°E / -20.5826; 139.570
Type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Leichhardt River
Catchment area	1,140 km2 (440 sq mi)
Basin countries	Australia
Surface area	23.75 km2 (9.17 sq mi)
Max. depth	11 m (36 ft)
Water volume	107,000 ML (87,000 acre⋅ft)

The dam was built for Mount Isa Mines and, at the time, was the largest water scheme in Australia financed by private enterprise.^[1] The original construction was started by the American Utah Construction Company, but Thiess Brothers completed the project.^[2]

The lake includes picnic areas, pontoons, a ski jump, and water sports facilities. The lake is popular with birdwatchers, sailors and angler. The Lake Moondarra Fishing Classic has been held there since 1999.

Transport Bay was so named because tonnes of sand was deposited on the banks of the lake by MIM trucks to create a beach.^{[citation needed]}

History

The lake was the location for one of Australia's largest stone axe quarries.^[3] The axes were traded amongst Aborigines across distances as far as 1,000 km.

Construction began on the Leichhardt Dam in 1956, and was completed on 6 November 1958 at a cost of £1.7 million. On 11 July 1961 the dam officially became Lake Moondarra after a competition to name the dam was won by a Mount Isa local, Danny Driscoll. The Aboriginal name means "plenty of rain also thunder".^{[citation needed]}

Pest weed control

In 1984, a species of weevil was successfully used as a biological pest control to contain a proliferation of the weed Salvinia molesta in the lake.^[4][5] The first releases were made in 1980. The weevil destroyed tens of thousands of tonnes of weed.^[6]

Panorama of Lake Moondarra from lookout above Transport Bay. July 2014. Mount Isa, Queensland.

Stocking

The dam is stocked with about 10,000 fingerlings each year for recreational fishing.^[7] It is stocked with barramundi and sooty grunter. 22 different freshwater species inhabit the dam.^[8]

See also

• Queensland portal

• East Leichhardt Dam
• Lake Julius
• List of reservoirs and dams in Australia
• Rifle Creek Dam