The dam is located in the area surrounding the
eponymous suburb, approximately north of . The primary inflow of the reservoir is Cabbage Tree Creek, not far above its confluence with the
Brisbane River to the south-west of the dam. The original purpose of the dam was to supplement supplies when the flow of the Brisbane River was low. Today it is one of a number of dams connected to the
SEQ Water Grid. The concrete dam structure is high and long. The resultant reservoir has a capacity of when full and a surface area of , drawn from a
catchment area of that includes much of the western slopes of the
D'Aguilar Range. The uncontrolled
un-gated spillway comprises a broad-crested weir with flip bucket that has a discharge capacity of . Initially managed by the Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, and then the
Brisbane City Council, management of the dam was transferred to
SEQ Water in July 2008.
History The
Enoggera Dam, the
Gold Creek Dam and the
Mount Crosby Weir were built to supply water to Brisbane but could not meet growing demand. A site upstream from the creek's confluence with the Brisbane River was selected as this was the next catchment to the west in the
D'Aguilar Range. The designer was Allan Hazen, an American
engineer. In 1924 the elevation of the bywash was raised which added to the dam's capacity. In 2007 the dam's capacity was again raised and connection to the regional water grid was re-established. The Lake Manchester Dam Flood Security Upgrade was a
Brisbane City Council project to ensure that the dam met the
Australian National Committee on Large Dams guidelines for large dams. The project involved strengthening and raising the dam wall for flood security purposes. Work began in early 2007 and was completed in 2008. == Recreation ==