Wappa

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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

0
Full supply volume
4,694 ML
Current volume
4,721 ML
at 12:53pm 02/11/2024
Dam is spilling
  • KEY INFORMATION
  • WATER SOURCE
  • LIVING NEAR DAMS
  • Key information

    Name
    Wappa

    Watercourse
    South Maroochy River

    Location
    Yandina

    Catchment area
    69.70km²

    Length of dam wall
    138.00m

    Year completed
    1963

    Type of construction
    Concrete gravity arch dam with earth abutments

  • 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.

  • 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.