Toowoomba waterways, catchments and detention basins

Toowoomba is the second-largest city in the Murray-Darling Basin, which means it has an important role in keeping the waterways and catchment system clean. This includes managing pollution from both direct sources e.g. pipes and indirect sources such as runoff from streets.

Waterways are creeks, rivers, streams and gullies.

Catchments/drainage basins are areas of land where all the water, rainfall, runoff, or groundwater, flows into a common waterway. Catchments are defined by the natural shape of the land.

Detention basins are designed to temporarily hold floodwater during heavy rain and release it slowly through drainage pipes. This controlled release helps reduce peak water flows downstream and lowers the risk of flooding.

Toowoomba City catchments

Toowoomba City sits in two catchments, made up of the:

  • Eastern catchment (flowing into south east Queensland)
  • Western catchment (flowing into the Condamine catchment in the Murray Darling Basin).

Waterway management

Management of Toowoomba’s waterways includes protecting and managing:

  • Habitat protection: Healthy habitats support native plants and animals, help maintain biodiversity and create green spaces for the community to enjoy. Protecting these areas also helps prevent erosion and keeps the land stable.
  • Hydrology and flow regulation: Studying how water moves through our region and managing flow regulation reduces flooding, prevents erosion, and supports natural water cycles. It also helps maintain water levels that are safe and healthy for ecosystems.
  • Creek health and ecosystem resilience: Keeping our creeks healthy by making sure the water is clean, the creek banks are strong and the area supports different types of plants and animals. When creeks are in good condition, they can recover more easily from problems like storms, pollution or drought.

Catchment strategies

Key flood resilience projects

Current projects

Perth Street Culvert Upgrade

Cost: $4.5M

This upgrade will increase flood immunity at Perth Street. We've received funding from State Government for these works.

 

Completed projects

Completed projects

  • Murray Clewett Environmental Wetlands, 1999
  • Stenner Street detention basins, 2000
  • Alderley Street detention basin, 2002
  • Spring Street detention basin, 2004
  • West Creek Herries Street to Russell Street channel improvement, 2007
  • Ethan Street detention basin, 2007
  • Wilf Gowlett detention basin, 2008
  •  Flood Early Warning System, Toowoomba, 2013
  • Jellicoe Street Bridge, 2012
  • Clewley Park detention basin and channel repairs 2013
  • Goggs Street stormwater upgrade and West Creek channel works, 2014
  • Dent Street rail bridge on West Creek, 2014
  • Garnet Lehmann detention basin, 2015
  • Spring Street detention basin upgrade and landscaping, 2015
  • Ballin Drive detention basin, 2015
  • Outer Circulating Road project including culvert upgrades at Russell Street and major channel works downstream from Russell Street, 2015
  • East Creek Ruthven Street culvert upgrade
  • South Street at East Creek culvert upgrade, 2015
  • Mary Street culvert upgrade, 2015

  • James Street crossings of both East and West Creek, 2020.

Key projects

East Creek - Ballin Drive and Garnet Lehmann detention basins

The detention basins on East Creek play a key role in reducing major flood peaks downstream, including the inner city and where East Creek meets West Creek. Together, the basins at Ballin Drive and Garnet Lehmann provide important benefits:

  • lower flood depths by about 500mm in the CBD during a one-in-100-year event
  • reduce peak flow rates by around 40% at James Street and 30% at Ruthven Street
  • remove at least 15 properties from the one-in-100-year flood zone
  • improve safety for pedestrians and road users
  • cut costs for road culvert upgrades and channel works
  • reduce repair and maintenance costs for roads, footpaths, and community assets
  • better control of stormwater and erosion.

Clewley Park upgrade

Clewley Park was upgraded with a 16 megalitre water detention basin and park facilities. Improvements to the water channel and provision of a spillway wall assists to temporarily slow water as it moves downstream from the basin to James Street.It will help protect homes and businesses in central Toowoomba from floods and was built to withstand up to a one-in-100 year rain event, notwithstanding severe localised flooding.

Outer Circulating Road Victoria Street extension project (including Russell Street culvert upgrade and major West Creek channel works)

Benefits of the project includes:

  • a major three-span bridge over where West and East creeks meet north of Russell Street
  • duplication of the existing Russell Street culvert, widened shoulders for cyclists, and a separate footpath for pedestrians on the new section of road.

East Creek Ruthven Street culvert upgrade

The existing culvert structure, where Ruthven Street crosses East Creek, was upgraded and a new drainage structure installed on the southern side of the existing culvert.

Goggs Street stormwater upgrade (including James to Herries Street channel works)

A new stormwater network has been installed in Goggs Street, as part of West Creek channel works to provide improved flood mitigation. Upgrades to the channel involve constructing a retaining wall on the eastern side and provision of new pedestrian and cycleway facilities.

Flood Early Warning System

The Toowoomba Flood Early Warning System has been designed to provide advanced warning that the city's creek water levels are likely to cause flooding. The alerts of imminent flooding will go to the city's emergency services and allow them to better manage such situations. The system also triggers changes to traffic lights to stop motorists from crossing flooded roads.

Flood risk information

Related information

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