Following recent significant rainfall events, Jindabyne Dam reached full supply level (FSL) today and commenced spilling into the Snowy River this morning.
Up to 140mm of rain was recorded in Snowy Scheme catchments over the weekend, continuing what has been a very wet year and the wettest November/December since 1992.
The spillway is likely to continue to operate intermittently for the next few days and Lake Jindabyne will remain very close to FSL this week.
With further storm activity forecast for the Christmas weekend and limited opportunities to pump water from Lake Jindabyne into the Murray River catchment, it is expected the spillway may operate again by the end of the week.
Snowy Hydro is working closely with NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (Water) to identify opportunities to make controlled releases and manage downstream impacts. Dam safety is paramount at this time and the spillway gates will automatically release water to return the storage to 100%.
Lake levels are anticipated to remain high for at least the next month, with continuing wet weather predicted in the seasonal outlook.
For the community the most important message is to stay safe and well-informed. The public can stay updated about flood alerts here:
For more information about releases into the Snowy River visit
https://www.snowyhydro.com.au/generation/live-data/lake-levels/ and
https://dpie.nsw.gov.au/water/home
Snowy Hydro will continue to keep the community informed about management of water in Lake Jindabyne through its website and social media channels.