Leslie Harrison
About Leslie Harrison
Leslie Harrison Dam, located on Tingalpa Creek, was completed in 1967 and upgraded in 1984 to increase its storage capacity.
Also known as Tingalpa Reservoir, Leslie Harrison Dam is part of South East Queensland’s drinking water supply.
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 Leslie Harrison Dam begins to spill, sign up to our free dam release notification service or download our public safety mobile app.
There are no recreation activities permitted at or on Leslie Harrison Dam.
Leslie Harrison Dam – with and without gates
In 1984, four spillway gates were added to increase drinking water storage for the growing Redlands community. However, the dam wall itself wasn’t raised, and this reduced the space available to hold back flood water during heavy rain.
As an ageing asset with an increasing population living downstream, a safety review in 2013 showed the dam had a high risk profile. To reduce this risk, the water level was permanently lowered in 2014 and the spillway gates were removed.
While the gates were originally installed to increase drinking water supply, by 2008 the Redlands gained access to new water sources - the North Stradbroke Island aquifers and the SEQ Water Grid - which meant the dam didn’t need to store as much water for supply.
For more information on the dam with and without gates, view our fact sheet.
Current capacity
- KEY INFORMATION
- WATER SOURCE
- LIVING NEAR DAMS
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Key information
NameLeslie Harrison
WatercourseTingalpa Creek
LocationNear Capalaba
Catchment area87.00km²
Length of dam wall535.00m
Year completed1984
Type of constructionZoned earth fill embankment
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Also known as Tingalpa Reservoir, Leslie Harrison Dam is part of the SEQ Water Grid.
The lake has a catchment area of 87 km2 and holds 13,200 million litres of water at full supply.
Read more about the SEQ Water Grid.
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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 Leslie Harrison Dam, this is Redland City Council.