Rising river alert - Snowy River below Jindabyne Dam

The NSW Department of Industry today issued a ‘rising river alert’ for the Snowy River between Jindabyne Dam and Dalgety in southern NSW for Wednesday 17 October 2018.

The river will rise due to the fourth and largest high-flow event in a series of five planned environmental releases from Jindabyne Dam to the Snowy River during winter and spring 2018.

The highest flow rate will occur at Jindabyne Dam from 8am Wednesday 17 October to 8am Thursday 18 October 2018 and will be 5,000 megalitres per day for the 24 hour period.

For the remainder of Thursday 18 October, the flow rate will be about 1,996 megalitres per day. The flow rate will drop back to a target of about 1,072 megalitres per day on Friday 19 October.

The environmental changes from this release are expected to be greatest between the dam wall to the junction with the Delegate River. However, the pulse will be noticeable down to the estuary in Victoria.

It is expected to see the river water level at Dalgety Weir rise from 1.05m on 16 October to 1.54m on 17 October, an increase of 0.49m.

It is important to note that water released at Jindabyne will take about five to six hours to reach Dalgety Weir at this flow rate. Landholders downstream of the Jindabyne Dam are advised to take all necessary precautions with stock, fencing and property in proximity to the river.

This high-flow event has been officially named ‘Wai–Garl’, which means River Black Fish, in recognition of the Maneroo-Ngarigo traditional people who have an enduring and strong connection to the Snowy River.

All five high-flow events in the Snowy River during 2018 have been named by the regional Aboriginal communities - Bidwell-Maap, Wongalu, Southern Monero-Yuin-Bolga, Maneroo-Ngarigo and Wiradjuri - who recognise the link between these high flows and the health of the Snowy River.

The department will work with the NSW State Emergency Service and Bureau of Meteorology to provide information to the community regarding the management of this release should weather conditions warrant.

More information can be found at - www.industry.nsw.gov.au/water/basins-catchments/snowy-river/initiative/increased-flows