High inflows to the Snowy Scheme, including the Jindabyne catchment, have been experienced since November 2021 and are continuing due to the spring snowmelt and wetter than usual weather conditions.
Based on operational forecasts, if left unmitigated, Lake Jindabyne would reach full supply level (100%) and commence spilling. To avoid uncontrolled spill, Snowy Hydro has reached agreement with NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE Water) to make pre-releases into the Snowy River below Jindabyne Dam from 1am Tuesday 4 October 2022.
Pre-releases will be greater than the environmental releases notified on Snowy Hydro’s website and may change at short notice in response to the weather conditions. Releases could reach flow rates up to 5,000 megalitres per day.
Snowy Hydro will continue to pump water from Jindabyne to Geehi Reservoir to be released through Murray 1 and 2 power stations into the upper Murray River at every opportunity.
Water transfers from the Geehi catchment into Jindabyne may also be necessary at times to manage flood risks in the Geehi, Swampy Plains and Upper Murray Rivers. Further releases to the Snowy River may still be required to avoid uncontrolled releases.
If Lake Jindabyne reaches 100%, it will trigger operation of the spillway gates. Dam safety is paramount and the spillway gates will automatically release water at any time the storage reaches or exceeds 100%.
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.