Rising river alert – Upper Murrumbidgee River below Tantangara Dam
The NSW Department of Planning and Environment today issued a ‘rising river alert’ for the Upper Murrumbidgee River between Tantangara Dam and Yaouk in southern NSW for Wednesday 20 September 2023.
The river will rise due to the third and final high-flow event in a series of planned environmental releases from Tantangara Dam to the Upper Murrumbidgee River during 2023.
The highest flow rate for this event will occur at Tantangara Dam from 12 noon on Wednesday 20 September and will be equivalent to 1,500 megalitres per day for the 24-hour period.
It is expected to see the river level at Yaouk rise from approximately 1 metre to over 1.3 metres, a rise of at least 0.3 metres.
For the remainder of Thursday 21 September, the flow rate will be about 950 megalitres per day. The flow rate will drop back to a target of about 475 megalitres per day on Friday 22 September.
The environmental benefits from this release are expected to be greatest between the dam wall and Yaouk. However, the flow pulse will be noticeable downstream of Murrumbidgee Reserve, Binjura.
Water released from Tantangara Dam will take about 9 hours to reach Yaouk at this flow rate and around 2 days for the flow to arrive at the ACT border.
Landholders downstream of the Tantangara Dam are advised to take all necessary precautions with stock, fencing and property in proximity to the river.
The department will work with the NSW State Emergency Service and the Bureau of Meteorology to provide information to the community regarding the management of this release should weather conditions warrant.
Conditions will be closely monitored in the lead up to the release. If heavy rainfall appears likely the release will be reduced or postponed to avoid adverse effects on river levels and an announcement will be made accordingly.
More information can be found at Snowy montane rivers.
