High inflows to the Snowy Scheme, including the Jindabyne catchment, have been experienced for more than 12 months and are continuing due to the late snow falls and wetter than usual weather conditions.
Lake levels are approaching 100% and continue to rise, so Snowy Hydro has consulted with NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE Water) to make pre-releases into the Snowy River below Jindabyne Dam from 1am Saturday 17 December 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 are expected to remain below 2,000 megalitres per day, but could increase in response to further weather events.
If Lake Jindabyne reaches 100%, it will trigger the operation of the spillway gates. Dam safety is paramount, and the spillway gates will automatically release water whenever 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.