Poona
About Poona
Poona Dam is located on a tributary of the South Maroochy River. The dam was originally constructed in 1959, the dam wall was raised in 1969 and spillway upgraded in 1998.
It is an un-gated dam, meaning that when it reaches 100 per cent capacity, water flows over the spillway and safely out of the dam.
If you would like to be notified when Poona Dam begins to spill, sign up to our free dam release notification service or download our public safety mobile app.
Poona Dam is not open to the public for recreation.
Current capacity
- KEY INFORMATION
- WATER SOURCE
- LIVING NEAR DAMS
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Key information
NamePoona
WatercourseTributary of South Maroochy River
LocationUnnamed creek
Catchment area0.73km²
Length of dam wall720.00m
Year completed1959
Type of constructionHomogenous earth fill with toe drain
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Poona Dam’s primary role is the short-term storage of water before it is treated for drinking.
The dam has a catchment area of 0.8km2, and holds up to 655 million litres of water at full supply.
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Flood mitigation
All dams help mitigate flooding to some extent. The peak outflow from a gated or un-gated dam during a flood event is less than the peak outflow that would have occurred had the dam not been built, because some water is held in the dam while it is spilling. This means that water flow slows down as floods pass through the dam.
It’s important neighbours and people downstream of dams know what to do in the unlikely event of an emergency. Each of our dams have an emergency action plan (EAP) in place to enable us to respond quickly to potential incidents in partnership with the Bureau of Meteorology, relevant emergency services and local councils. For Poona Dam, this is Sunshine Coast Regional Council.