Little Nerang Dam
Little Nerang dam site, June 1959
Location of the Little Nerang Dam in Queensland
Country	Australia
Location	South East Queensland
Coordinates	28°8′37″S 153°17′6″E / 28.14361°S 153.28500°E / -28.14361; 153.28500
Purpose	Potable water supply[1]
Status	Operational
Opening date	1962 (1962)
Operator(s)	SEQ Water
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Gravity dam
Impounds	Little Nerang Creek
Height	44 m (144 ft)[1]
Length	201 m (659 ft)[1]
Dam volume	68×10^3 m3 (2.4×10^6 cu ft)[1]
Spillway type	Uncontrolled
Spillway capacity	570 m3/s (20,000 cu ft/s)[1]
Reservoir
Total capacity	6,705 ML (1.475×109 imp gal; 1.771×109 US gal)
Catchment area	35.2 km2 (13.6 sq mi)[1][2]
Surface area	49 ha (120 acres)[3][2]
Website www.seqwater.com.au

The Little Nerang Dam is a concrete gravity dam with an un-gated spillway across the Little Nerang Creek that is located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. The main purpose of the dam is for potable water supply of the Gold Coast region.^[1][3] The impounded reservoir is also called Little Nerang Dam. The dam was closed to the public in 2013 due to safety concerns.^[4]

Location and features

The dam is located 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) west of Tugun and 25 kilometres (16 mi) driving distance from Mudgeeraba, and is located directly upstream from the Hinze Dam. Prior to the completion of the Hinze Dam, the Little Nerang Creek Gravity Scheme supplied the water requirements of the Gold Coast area. Water flows by gravity pipeline to the Mudgeeraba Water Treatment Plant. The plant, completed in 1969, has the capacity to treat 110 megalitres (24,000,000 imp gal; 29,000,000 US gal) a day. The water then flows by gravity to the city's storage reservoirs.

Completed in 1962,^[1] the rock and earthfill dam structure is 44 metres (144 ft) high and 201 metres (659 ft) long. The 68-thousand-cubic-metre (2.4×10^⁶ cu ft) dam wall holds back the 8,390-megalitre (1.85×10⁹ imp gal; 2.22×10⁹ US gal) reservoir when at full capacity. From a catchment area of 35 square kilometres (14 sq mi) that includes the Springbrook Plateau, the dam creates an unnamed reservoir with a surface area of 50 hectares (120 acres). The uncontrolled un-gated spillway has a discharge capacity of 570 cubic metres per second (20,000 cu ft/s).^[1] Initially managed by Gold Coast Water, management of the dam was transferred to Seqwater in July 2008.

Recreational

Recreation is not permitted at Little Nerang Dam. As of 2019, Access to Little Nerang Dam and Little Nerang Dam Road Seqwater is now restricted to SEQWater employees and residents of the road, with a large security gate blocking access.^[5]