About us

A popular recreation destination

With a wide variety of activities and facilities available, Somerset Dam is a popular recreation destination with three main recreation areas:

• The Spit
• Somerset Park, day use area

About Somerset Dam 

Somerset Dam is one of the region’s 12 key water storages and also one of the most popular recreation destinations in the region.

Somerset Dam was constructed by the Bureau of Industry Stanley River Works Board. Construction commenced in 1935 but had to be suspended due to World War II. Work resumed in 1948 and the dam was completed in 1959.

The dam was built for the dual purposes of water supply for the region and for flood mitigation. Water from Somerset Dam is released into Wivenhoe Dam, which in turn supplements the natural flow of the Brisbane River and maintains an adequate supply of water to the Mt Crosby pumping station located 132 kilometres downstream.

Somerset is a gated dam, allowing us to make controlled water releases during times of heavy rain. It has an additional flood storage capacity of 524,000 megalitres.