Julius Dam supplies water to North West Queensland mining and communities

Sunwater maintains Julius Dam to provide a reliable water supply for the mining industry and local communities in North West Queensland, Australia.

The dam was completed in 1976 to address a water shortage in the mining city of Mount Isa. During a severe drought in 1971, the city found that its primary source, Lake Moondarra, could not meet the demands of a growing population and mining operations.

Engineers from Thiess Brothers built Julius Dam 70 kilometres north-east of Mount Isa at the junction of the Leichhardt River and Paroo Creek. The structure uses a unique concrete multiple-arch and buttress design to manage the challenges of a remote location. Unlike many dams, Julius Dam does not have a separate spillway. Instead, its 18-metre wide arches allow excess water to flow directly over the structure without causing damage.

The dam can hold 107,500 megalitres of water, which is about one-fifth of the volume of Sydney Harbour. Sunwater uses the dam to feed several pipelines, including a 113-kilometre line completed in 1998 and a 38-kilometre line finished in 2010. These pipes provide water to mining operations like the Ernest Henry copper and gold mine and the town of Cloncurry. A seven-person team based in Cloncurry performs the ongoing maintenance required to keep the dam and pipelines operational.