| Leslie Dam | |
| Pushpin Map: | Queensland |
| Location: | 11km west of Warwick |
| Coords: | -28.2172°N 151.9183°W |
| Type: | Reservoir |
| Outflow: | Sandy Creek |
| Catchment: | 603km2 |
| Basin Countries: | Australia |
| Area: | 1288ha |
| Max-Depth: | 28.9m (94.8feet) |
| Volume: | 106250ML |
| Elevation: | 472.4m (1,549.9feet) |
| Reference: | [1] |
Leslie Dam is a dam in the locality of the same name Leslie Dam, Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] [3] It impounds Sandy Creek, a tributary of the Condamine River, to create Lake Leslie .[4] It is 11km (07miles) from Warwick town centre. It was built for water storage and not for flood mitigation. Freshwater fishing and water sports facilities are available.
Leslie Dam was completed in December 1965. The dam and the lake were named after Patrick Leslie (1815–1881), an early settler in the region and the first person to buy land in Warwick.The dam was extended in 1986, increasing capacity by 100%. The dam's highest level was reached on 12 September 1988 when waters in the dam peaked at above the spillway.[5] The next highest level was above the spillway on 28 May 1990. On 11 February 1995, the dam reached its lowest level ever of 3% capacity.
On 21 October 2001, sculpltures of Patrick Leslie and his wife Kate Leslie were unveiled as part of the Centenary of Federation Celebrations and as a tribute to pioneering women.[6]
In 2008, SunWater began a dam spillway capacity upgrade program to ensure a consistently high level of safety for the dams under their control, including the Leslie Dam.[7] [8]
On the night of 5 January 2011, the dam spilled for the first time in more than two decades. All seven floodgates were opened. The resulting high waters in Sandy Creek closed the Cunningham Highway. The following day SunWater reduced the release rate after requests by Warwick's mayor, Ron Bellingham.
Two sculptures of Patrie Leslie and his wife Kate Leslie are located near the dam wall.
A Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish in the dam.[9]