Dams ready for weekend rains

28 October 2010

Weekend rainfall expected across south-east NSW will likely result in significant inflows at State Water’s dams that will ultimately lead to increasing outflows.

The catchments of Hume, Blowering and Burrinjuck Dams – all in the state’s south – are expecting significant rainfall over the weekend and into next week.

All three storages are at or near 100% of optimum storage capacity, meaning releases will need to increase to accommodate inflows.

However, each storage will be managed to ensure outflows will not exceed the amount of water arriving from upstream, thereby reducing the peak in river rises downstream, as well as delaying the peak’s arrival to allow existing high flows to move further along the river.

While the three key storages are at or near 100% of optimal storage level, both Burrinjuck and Blowering Dams can be safely surcharged during flood events to mitigate the impacts of flooding in the valley downstream of the dams.

State Water’s Manager Water Delivery, Dan Berry said landholders downstream of Hume, Burrinjuck and Blowering who had not already made allowances for increased river flows should do so.

“The impact of heavy rain will require State Water to increase releases to cope with the inflows, but the dams’ key role in mitigating the impact of these increased inflows will continue to be effective.

“This recurring rainfall is certainly an inconvenience for affected landholders, but we should not lose sight of the huge benefits the end of the drought is bringing to the long-suffering environment in the short term, and the economies of downstream communities in the medium to long term.

“With storages as full as they currently are the prospects for certainty of supply to customers into the future are certainly vastly improved on what we have experienced for the past decade.”

NB: Weather advice should be accessed from the Bureau of Meteorology.

For flood information contact the State Emergency Service.

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