Torrential rains fill Brisbane dams

By COURTNEY TRENWITH
March 8, 2010 Brisbane’s dam capacity has surpassed 90 per cent for the first time in almost nine years. Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine dams are at a combined capacity of 93.8 per cent this morning, according to SEQWater. Only three years ago, the capacity was sitting at a mere 16 per cent. The last time dam levels topped 90 per cent was in July 2001. “Over the last seven days there’s been an almost 20 per cent increase in the combined capacity of North Pine, Wivenhoe and Somerset dams,” SEQWater spokesman Mike Foster told ABC Radio. “So a fairly extraordinary amount of water in a relatively short amount of time. “Certainly the last time we had to do some floodgate releases out of Wivenhoe, you’d have to go back to 1999.” Strong inflows over the weekend have contributed to the significant boost. Since Friday, Wivenhoe Dam has increased to 91.3 per cent, up from 79.4 per cent. The Wivenhoe catchment received 152mm of rain over the past seven days, including 50mm from 9am Friday. … The Somerset catchment received 233mm of rainfall in the past week, including 66mm from 9am Friday. … The combined dam capacity broke the 80 per cent mark for the first time in eight years last week on the back of two months of huge rainfall. Brisbane had received 400 millimetres of rain – or half a year’s worth – in the first two months of the year. …

Brisbane dams levels surge over 90 per cent