Watering event updates

Keep up to date with current key watering events in the Snowy and montane rivers.

Upper Murrumbidgee River

Event status: Underway
Start date: 25 May 2021 End date: 29 April 2022
Water allocated to event: 7990 megalitres
Estimated water used to date: 49,310 megaltires (to 10 August 2021)
Water source: NSW, planned, Snowy Montane Rivers Increased Flows (SMRIF)

Aims of watering event: 

  • Provide flow to river reach (longitudinal).
  • Enhance instream flow.
  • Support aquatic food web to feed animals – fish, platypus, frogs.
  • Maintain/protect nesting/spawning habitat.
  • Boost instream productivity for ecosystem health.

 Brief description of event:

  • Provide some natural flow seasonality and daily flow variability daily to help restore health and condition of the Upper Murrumbidgee River.
  • Provide 3 higher flow events to improve the health of the river by cleaning sediment from riffles and to provide suitable habitat for endangered Macquarie perch to lay their eggs and for successful breeding.
  • Encourage productivity and habitat for aquatic animals, including water bugs, crustaceans, frogs, fish and platypus.
This event has been endorsed by the Snowy Advisory Committee.

The graph below shows the planned daily environmental water releases from Tantangara Dam into the Upper Murrumbidgee River for 2021–22. The blue line indicates environmental water that has already been delivered to the Snowy River and the orange line shows the planned releases.

Line chart showing planned daily environmental water releases from Tantangara Dam into the Upper Murrumbidgee River for 2021–22

Snowy River (below Jindabyne Dam)

Event status: Underway
Start date: 1 May 2021 End date: 30 April 2022
Water allocated to event: 209,800 megalitres
Estimated water used to date: 49,310 megaltires (to 10 August 2021)
Water source: NSW, planned, Snowy River Increased Flows (SRIF)

Aims of watering event: 

  • Enhance instream flow.
  • Mobilise and transport sediment (sand, silt and clay).
  • Support aquatic food web to feed animals – fish, platypus, frogs.
  • Boost instream productivity for ecosystem health.

 Brief description of event:

  • Provide daily flows to help restore the Snowy River below Jindabyne Dam to a healthy and functioning snowmelt river.
  • Provide 5 eight-hour high flow events during winter and spring to mobilise and transport sediment (sand, silt and clay) improving the instream river channel condition, habitat and overall river health.
  • Clean and flush the spaces between gravel stones (riffles) to improve productivity and habitat for aquatic animals, including water bugs, crustaceans, frogs, fish and platypus
This event has been endorsed by the Snowy Advisory Committee.

The graph below shows the planned daily environmental water releases from Jindabyne Dam into the Snowy River for 2021–22. The blue line indicates environmental water that has already been delivered to the Snowy River and the orange line shows the planned releases.

Line graph showing the planned daily environmental water releases from Jindabyne Dam into the Snowy River for 2021-22