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Media Release - Department of Water and Energy Date: 15 April 2009 WATER RESOURCE SITUATION FOR NSW REMAINS CRITICAL IN THE SOUTHERN MURRAY DARLING BASIN NSW Department of Water and Energy, Deputy Director General David Harriss said today that inflows in southern NSW including the Murray and Murrumbidgee Valleys had deteriorated to the record low levels experienced at this time of year in 2006-2007.
Due to these current low water levels, allocations in the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Lower Darling river valleys would remain unchanged.
In the Barwon-Darling River in the north of the State, the flows upstream of the Menindee Lakes caused by flooding around Bourke in late February are now receding rapidly.
As a result the water availability in the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Lower Darling River Valleys is severely limited.
In the Murray Valley, the volume of water in Hume Dam is about three percent of its capacity and Dartmouth Dam is storing about 20 percent of capacity. By comparison, on average Hume Dam would be at 40 percent of capacity at this time of year and Dartmouth Dam at 77 percent.
In the Murrumbidgee Valley, Burrinjuck and Blowering Dams are at about 40 and 28 percent of capacity respectively, slightly more than at this time last year.
“In both valleys there is sufficient water available to ensure that critical human needs will be delivered in 2009/10. However, if conditions remain dry it may be necessary to restrict the delivery of a proportion of carryover at the commencement of the season until additional water required to meet conveyance losses comes into these valleys.”, he said.
In the Lower Darling River, the Menindee Lakes is storing about 250,000 megalitres or 15 percent of capacity compared to 600,000 Megalitres, or 36 percent of capacity at this time last year. This will assure Broken Hill supply for at least 21 months and allow delivery of high security allocations and carryover in 2009/10. However, without further inflows there will not be any significant transfer of water from the Lower Darling River to the Murray River in 2009/10 as occurred this year.
The continuing dry conditions have also provided ideal conditions for blue-green algae, and currently there is an outbreak of algae blooms in the Murray River from Hume Dam to Tooleybuc. The Regional Algae Coordinating Committees, together with the Department of Water and Energy are monitoring the water quality and are providing regular updates. The Regional Algal Coordinating Committee’s hotline on 1800 999 457 will provide further information.
Mr Harriss said that the Department of Water and Energy would continue to monitor and report on water availability and water quality. The regular monthly water supply communiqués have not been issued this month because of Easter but would resume on May 15th.
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