Wappa
About Wappa
Wappa Dam is one of several drinking water supply dams located in the Sunshine Coast region. The dam is a few kilometres upstream of Yandina, on the South Maroochy River.
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 Wappa Dam begins to spill, sign up to our free dam release notification service or download our public safety mobile app.
Current capacity
- KEY INFORMATION
- WATER SOURCE
- LIVING NEAR DAMS
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Key information
NameWappa
WatercourseSouth Maroochy River
LocationYandina
Catchment area69.70km²
Length of dam wall138.00m
Year completed1963
Type of constructionConcrete gravity arch dam with earth abutments
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Wappa Dam is located west of Yandina in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. The dam was constructed in 1963 on the South Maroochy River and supplies drinking water to the SEQ Water Grid.
The lake has a catchment area of approximately 69.7km2 and holds 4694 megalitres 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 Wappa Dam, this is Sunshine Coast Regional Council.
