The Snowy Scheme has been an intrinsic part of the Snowy Mountains for more than 70 years. As part of the ongoing operations of the Scheme, Snowy Hydro continues to allow public access to the lakes and foreshores for recreational purposes and asks that people adhere to the following guidelines when visiting.
Public Access
Snowy Hydro has developed a number of designated points around its storages including Lake Eucumbene, Lake Jindabyne, Khancoban Pondage and Jounama Pondage, to assist the public gain access to foreshore areas.
In most cases, these can be accessed from public roads and provide basic toilet and recreational facilities, including picnic tables and signage.
Please only access the lake foreshores via these designated points.
Local councils also assist Snowy Hydro by providing municipal services around sections of the lake foreshores.
Littering and foreshore use
Bins have been provided at foreshore access points and we ask that visitors please dispose of their rubbish in these bins, or take it with them when they leave.
In areas managed by local councils, fines for littering will be imposed. Disruptive, antisocial or illegal behaviour will be reported to the police.
Snowy Hydro is very proud of our responsible management of the Scheme within the Kosciuszko National Park and we encourage all our visitors to share the same view.
Overnight camping
Camping on Snowy Hydro-managed lake foreshores is not allowed. Please only camp in the regionally-designated camping areas and caravan parks such as those below:
- Alpine Tourist Park Adaminaby
- Anglers Reach Caravan Park
- Anglers Reach Holiday Cabins
- Buckenderra Caravan Park
- Cool Mountain Lodge
- Discovery Holiday Park Jindabyne
- Frying Pan Caravan Park
- Jindabyne Holiday Park
- Khancoban Caravan Park
- Providence Portal Caravan Park
- Rainbow Pines Tourist Caravan Park
- Talbingo Caravan Park
Camping is not permitted in areas of the foreshore managed by local councils and these areas are signposted and regularly patrolled, especially during winter.
In conjunction with the regular patrols, under the Local Government Act, councils can impose fines for camping in these areas if requests to move on are not followed.
Safety Around the Scheme
When visiting key operational areas of the Snowy Scheme, we ask you to be aware and be safe, especially in areas near power stations, switchyards, lake foreshores and rivers downstream from dams.
To meet the changing needs of power users and the water needs of Australia’s inland farmers, Snowy Hydro moves large quantities of water around the Scheme on a daily basis.
Power demands fluctuate daily, and Snowy Hydro produces power during peak demands. It is often impossible to forecast power demand and subsequent water releases from any location in the Scheme. As a result, water flows in some rivers can change dramatically, especially for the Snowy, Tumut and Murumbidgee Rivers.
Some of the changing conditions or risks which can occur in downstream rivers and reservoirs during and after electricity generation are:
- Sudden and rapid changes in water flow and volume in streams and rivers
- Potential bank collapse during and after high-flow events
- Floating debris
- Very cold water temperatures
- Water levels in lakes or reservoirs changing significantly in a short period of time
- Submerged objects, trees, old fence posts and fence lines creating water hazards.
Snowy Hydro works closely with our partners Maritime NSW, which is responsible for boating safety and enforcing boating regulations on the alpine lakes, and Fisheries NSW, which enforces bag limits relating to overfishing.
Snowy 2.0
Snowy 2.0 is the next chapter in the Snowy Scheme’s history. It is a nation-building renewable energy project that will provide on-demand energy and large-scale storage for many generations to come.
Visit the Snowy 2.0 roads and access page for access information.
Snowy Hydro and our Snowy 2.0 principal contractor Future Generation Joint Venture continue to work with National Parks and Wildlife Service, councils and our communities to ensure impacts to park visitors and road users are minimised.
Useful links
More information about Snowy Scheme history and our company.
Kosciuszko National Park – alerts and map
Snowy Live app with camping options and lake levels