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The Snowy Water Inquiry was commissioned in 1998 to assess river management of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme and recommend environmental flow options for rivers affected by tbe Scheme. The Inquiry’s terms of reference required analysis of the environmental, social and economic effects of various options for future management, prior to making recommendations to the NSW and Victorian Governments. The final report of the Inquiry was submitted on 23 October 1998. In August 2000, the NSW and Victorial Governments reached an agreement for environmental releases for the Snowy River below Jindabyne Dam which will increase flows from 1% to 22% of natural flows downstream of Jindabyne Dam withing 10 years. Releases were also agreed for other rivers affected by the Scheme, including the upper Murrumbidgee River, the upper Snowy River (above Jindabyne Dam), the Goodradigbee River and the Geehi River.
To avoid confusion between the process of developing interim environmental objectives and the outcomes of the Inquiry and interstate processes, no river flow or water quality objectives were recommended for the Snowy River or its tributaries.
Where water quality objectives are required for waterways in the Snowy catchment, DEC recommends that aquatic ecosystems protection, raw drinking water (for treatment), primary and secondary recreation be applied as default environmental values, with technical criteria derived using the Australian Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (ANZECC/ARMCANZ 2000). Irrigation, livestock and homestead water use are recommended as additional environmental values outside the Kosciuszko National Park.