Lake Moondarra
Encyclopedia
Lake Moondarra is an artificial lake
on the Leichhardt River, 16 km downstream from the town of Mount Isa. It provides water supply to the town and the adjacent Mount Isa Mines
(MIM) mining lease.
Construction began on the Leichardt Dam in 1956, and was completed on 6 November 1958 at a cost of £1.7 million. The dam was built for Mount Isa Mines and, at the time, was the largest water scheme in Australia
financed by private enterprise. The original construction was started by Utah Construction, but Thiess Brothers completed the project.
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".
The lake includes picnic areas, pontoons, a ski jump, and water sports facilities. The lake is popular with birdwatchers, sailors and anglers, as it is stocked with barramundi
and sooty grunter
.
Transport Bay was so named because tonnes of sand was deposited on the banks of the lake by MIM trucks to create a beach.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
on the Leichhardt River, 16 km downstream from the town of Mount Isa. It provides water supply to the town and the adjacent Mount Isa Mines
Mount Isa Mines
The Mount Isa copper, lead, zinc and silver mines near Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia are part of the Xstrata mining company.-History:In 1923 the orebody containing lead, zinc and silver was discovered by the miner John Campbell Miles. The company Mount Isa Mines was founded 1924 but full scale...
(MIM) mining lease.
Construction began on the Leichardt Dam in 1956, and was completed on 6 November 1958 at a cost of £1.7 million. The dam was built for Mount Isa Mines and, at the time, was the largest water scheme in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
financed by private enterprise. The original construction was started by Utah Construction, but Thiess Brothers completed the project.
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
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
name means "plenty of rain also thunder".
The lake includes picnic areas, pontoons, a ski jump, and water sports facilities. The lake is popular with birdwatchers, sailors and anglers, as it is stocked with barramundi
Barramundi
The Barramundi , also known as Asian Seabass, is a species of catadromous fish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. The native species is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific region from the Persian Gulf, through Southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia. Known in Thai...
and sooty grunter
Sooty grunter
Named after Tom Eyears sooty grunter is also known as a "sooty", "bream", "grunter", and "blackbream". They can weigh up to . Sooty grunters prefer rivers with clear flowing water and a sandy or rocky substrate, but have a wide range of environmental tolerance.Sooty grunters live in Queensland...
.
Transport Bay was so named because tonnes of sand was deposited on the banks of the lake by MIM trucks to create a beach.
See also
- Lake JuliusLake JuliusLake Julius was formed following the construction of Julius Dam in 1976 for irrigation and town water storage. The dam wall is located just below the junction of the Leichardt River and Paroo Creek some 70 km North East of Mount Isa...
- List of reservoirs and dams in Australia
- Rifle Creek DamRifle Creek DamRifle Creek Dam is owned by Mount Isa Mines. With the completion of the East Leichhardt Dam in 1958, Rifle Creek Dam water was completely available for use by the mine.-See also:*List of dams and reservoirs in Australia...
- East Leichhardt DamEast Leichhardt DamEast Leichhardt Dam is correctly identified as Lake Mary Kathleen. The dam was built to be an emergency supply of water for the now closed Mary Kathleen Uranium Mine. However, Lake Corella was sufficient....