The Paradise Dam upstream fishlift is the first example of fish passage at a high dam in Australia and the first use of this type of fish transfer technology in Australia.

The Paradise Dam downstream fishlock is the first fishway in Australia solely designed for downstream passage of fish.

Kirar Weir incorporates a fishlock for both upstream and downstream passage of fish.

The fishways aim to enable sufficient movement and migration of fish to maintain the diversity and abundance of fish populations upstream and downstream of Paradise Dam and Kirar Weir.

The fishways cater for the whole fish community within the Burnett River, including very large bodied fish, such as the Queensland Lungfish, down to very small and juvenile fish.

Burnett Water has contracted the Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries (DPI&F) to undertake monitoring and evaluation of the Paradise Dam fishways and the Kirar Weir fishway.

The monitoring programs aim to:

• determine whether the fish passage facilities are effective in achieving the design aims;
• provide data for the optimisation of operations of the fishways over time; and
• provide information that may be of use in the mitigation of the impacts of future water infrastructure developments.

Paradise Dam Upstream Fishlift Operations

Enlarge Diagram (PDF format 1,384KB)

Paradise Dam Upstream Fishlift
Fish hopper ascending the downstream face of the dam wall

Paradise Dam Upstream Fishlift
Fish hopper travelling over the dam wall

Paradise Dam Upstream Fishlift
Fish hopper descending the upstream face of the dam wall

Paradise Dam Downstream Fishlock Operations

Paradise Dam Downstream Fishlock – Attraction Phase

Paradise Dam Downstream Fishlock – Draining Phase

Paradise Dam Downstream Fishlock – Exiting Phase

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