| |
| |
|
All Current and Past Media Releases
|
Media Release - Department of Water and Energy Date: 9 July 2009 ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW PATTERNS FOR SNOWY RIVER SET FOR NEW WATER YEAR A new release strategy from Jindabyne Dam for the Snowy River has been set by the Department of Water and Energy following advice from the Snowy Scientific Committee.
The Committee released their second report covering environmental releases last month. The new release strategy has been endorsed by the three partner governments to the Snowy Scheme (NSW, Victoria, and the Federal Governments), and the strategy has been included in Snowy Hydro’s Annual Water Operating Plan.
Department of Water and Energy’s Deputy Director General, David Harriss said that a key feature of the new water release arrangements is the introduction of greater flow variability than has been seen in recent years.
“This includes daily and weekly flow variations that will replicate seasonal variation and peak flow releases in July, August and September 2009, and shorter peak flows in January and February 2010,” said Mr Harriss
“Over the past few months, the Snowy Scientific Committee has worked very closely with the Department to ensure that environmental releases from Jindabyne Dam maximise the environmental benefits and meet regulatory and operational requirements,” he said
Snowy Hydro Limited’s Manager of Public Relations David Hogan, said that the local community was well aware of the strict obligations imposed on Snowy Hydro Limited regarding water releases under its licence conditions.
“Snowy Hydro Limited has been instructed by the Department to incorporate these new release arrangements into the operations for Jindabyne Dam for the 2009/10 water year,
“We will publicly report on how we have met these in our annual Water Operations Report,” he said
Mr Harriss said that Snowy River environmental flows had been secured each year by the NSW and Victorian Governments through verified water savings on the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers.
“Despite a high volume of entitlements being secured, the annual allocations for these entitlements remain low, as a direct result of the ongoing severe drought in the southern Basin.”
The new water release arrangements have been designed to maintain the habitat character in the wet - dry littoral zone along the Snowy River, with two peak flows during summer designed to improve the water quality in the deep pools found in the Jindabyne Gorge.
All water releases made from Jindabyne Dam into the Snowy River will be made via new outlet works that will ensure that surface waters of Jindabyne Dam only are released, further improving the environmental outcomes.
A copy of the second report by the Snowy Scientific Committee can be accessed via the Department of Water and Energy’s website at www.dwe.nsw.gov.au
|
|||||||||||||||