The Ibis Dam, officially known as the Ibis Creek Dam, is a gravity dam across the Ibis Creek that serves as a water supply for the town of Irvinebank, in Far North Queensland, Australia. Completed in 1906 by John Moffat, a mining entrepreneur, its construction was supervised by Tom Brodie, a Scottish stonemason.
The dam is located about south of Irvinebank, connected by a pipeline that runs north-west from the dam to supply two reservoirs located on a ridge above the town. Supply of water is gravity fed to each property within Irvinebank. The dam has been stabilised twice, in 1997 and most recently in 2013.
The dam wall is high and wide, and comprises a mix of mass concrete with rock core. The central uncontrolled ogee spillway at the crest, has weirs on either side to assist with flood mitigation.
In 2010, a structural investigation was initiated by the Department of Environment and Resource Management on behalf of its owner, the Queensland Government. The investigation uncovered significant structural concerns with the dam after many long-held assumptions about its initial construction were found to be untrue.
After twelve months of negotiations, a proposal was submitted to Tablelands Regional Council, now the Shire of Mareeba, to take on ownership of the dam subsequent to a Queensland government-funded upgrade. The government's alternative to this option was to decommission the dam. In January 2012 Tablelands Regional Council decided to take ownership of the dam and the government began preparations for its upgrade. The handover was completed in July 2013, and the government provided the Shire with $700,000 to assist with the first five-years' running costs. Whilst the dam was repaired, the government assisted by paying water-carting costs.