RIVER MURRAY WEEKLY REPORT
FOR THE WEEK ENDING WEDNESDAY, 30TH SEPTEMBER 2016
Trim Ref: D15/78729
Rainfall and Inflows
The relatively dry start to spring continued across the Murray-Darling Basin this week, with practically
no rain recorded across the region apart from the eastern and south-eastern ranges where totals mostly
amounted to only 10 mm or less (Map 1). This rain was associated with frontal systems in the south,
and onshore winds interacting with weak trough systems further north. These systems brought light
showers to eastern Victoria and the NSW ranges, and thunderstorm activity in the north-east.
Map 1 - Murray-Darling Basin rainfall week ending 30th September 2015 (Source: Bureau of Meteorology)
Flows along most upper Murray tributaries continued to recede this week and remain at quite low rates
for this time of year. On the Mitta Mitta River, the flow at Hinnomunjie decreased from 1,300 to
1,100 ML/day. On the upper Murray, the flow at Biggara receded from 1,400 to 1,150 ML/day. On the
Ovens River, flows at Wangaratta decreased below 1,000 ML/day for the first time since the first half of
July. The flow is now just under 900 ML/day compared with 1,200 ML/day one week ago and flows over
8,000 ML/day observed during early August.
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River Operations

Hot, dry weather forecast for the next week;

Large transfers from Dartmouth expected to continue

The Lock 7, 8 and 9 weir pool levels will be changed over the coming week
MDBA total storage fell by 54 GL this week, with the active storage now 4,429 GL (53% capacity). Total
storage is expected to fall again over the coming week with dry weather and very hot conditions expected
over irrigation areas.
Dartmouth reservoir is the uppermost and largest water storage along the River Murray System with a
total capacity of 3,856 GL. When full, Dartmouth represents 42% of the system’s total storage capacity
and takes four average inflow years to fill from empty, whereas Hume Reservoir takes around one
average inflow year.
It is generally used in dry seasons when the downstream storages have insufficient water to meet
demands, see years 2003-04 and 2006-07 in Figure 1.
This year is shaping up to be similar given there is no access to water from Menindee Lakes and
system inflows have been well below average. Large transfers from Dartmouth to Hume have been
needed to ensure system demands can be met for the 2015-16 year. Since May this year
approximately 700 GL has been transferred from Dartmouth to Hume which has seen the Dartmouth
storage volume fall from 75% at the beginning of May to 65% at present.
If dry conditions persist bulk transfers to Hume Dam will continue at high rates over the coming year.
This week bulk transfers targeted 7,000 ML/day, measured at Colemans but will be temporarily
reduced next week to 4,500 ML/day for maintenance works and bank stability, see attached flow
advice.
Figure 1 Dartmouth storage volume from 2000-2015
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This week, Hume Reservoir storage decreased by 27 GL and is now 1,473 GL (49% capacity), without
the volume already transferred from Dartmouth, Hume would now be as low as 25% capacity. Releases
from Hume averaged 16,600 ML/day for the week, increasing to over 18,000 ML/day at the end of the
week to provide capacity for increased releases from Lake Mulwala to meet demands.
At Lake Mulwala diversions at Mulwala Canal reduced from 4,400 ML/day to 3,900 ML/day, and
Yarrawonga Main Channel increased from 1,900 ML/day to 2,200 ML/day. The release from
Yarrawonga Weir increased from 12,000 ML/day to 13,000 ML/day this week. Releases over the coming
week are largely comprised of water to meet downstream demands and transfers to Lake Victoria and
a small component of environmental water to provide benefit to the Barmah-Millewa Forest and sites
further downstream. Yarrawonga releases are expected to continue around 13,000 ML/day throughout
October, with some small variations to promote environmental benefit.
In the Edward-Wakool system, flow through the Edward and Gulpa offtakes averaged around
1,550 ML/day and 770 ML/day respectively. Delivery of environmental water through the Wakool River,
Yallakool and Colligen Creeks continues. On the Edward River, the flow downstream of Stevens Weir
averaged around 1,350 ML/day. Flow in the Wakool River at Wakool-Barham Road has steadied at
approximately 450 ML/day.
On the Goulburn River, the flow at McCoys Bridge is currently 740 ML/day and forecast to begin rising
over the coming week with the addition of an environmental pulse to benefit riparian vegetation. Flow is
expected to peak at over 7,000 ML/day at McCoys bridge by mid-October (see media release).
At Torrumbarry Weir, National Channel was steady at 2,900 ML/day. The release from Torrumbarry
Weir averaged just over 6,000 ML/day, and is forecast to rise toward 8,000 ML/day late in the coming
week with the contribution from the Goulburn.
Further downstream, inflows to the Murray from the Murrumbidgee River at Balranald have declined to
1,410 ML/day following the high flows over the past few weeks. At Euston Weir, the pool level has been
raised to 60 cm above the Full Supply Level (FSL) of 47.6 m AHD resulting in increased flow to the
Euston Lakes (see Figure 2). The downstream release has reduced from around 14,000 ML/day at the
beginning of the week to 8,500 ML/day.
At Menindee Lakes, the storage volume has remained steady at 101 GL (6% capacity), with the release
from the Lakes at Weir 32 currently below 100 ML/day.
At Wentworth Weir on the Murray, the downstream flow continued to recede this week to a minimum
of around 10,800 ML/day. At Locks 9, 8 and 7, the weir pool variability trial continues to deliver beneficial
flows into anabranches and key wetlands along this part of the Murray. Over the coming week the weir
pool heights will be lowered as noted below:



Lock 9 - reducing 30 cm to 10cm below full supply level;
Lock 8 - reducing 30cm to 50cm above full supply level; and
Lock 7 – reducing 25cm to 25cm above full supply level.
At Lake Victoria, the storage volume increased by 11 GL to 627 GL (93% capacity) and is now expected
to begin falling. The flow to South Australia is currently around 10,100 ML/day, which incorporates
entitlement flows and environmental water. The target flow across the South Australian border for the
beginning of October is 11,000 ML/day.
At the Lower Lakes, the five-day average water level in Lake Alexandrina is 0.80 m AHD and the
average barrage release for September was estimated to be around 3,700 ML/day.
GPO Box 1801 Canberra ACT 2601
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Page 3 of 8
Figure 2. Flows into Lake Caringay (Euston Lakes) resulting from a 60 cm weir pool raising at Lock 15 (photo courtesy of Scott
Jaensch)
For media inquiries contact the Media Officer on 02 6279 0141
DAVID DREVERMAN
Executive Director, River Management
GPO Box 1801 Canberra ACT 2601
Email: engagement@mdba.gov.au
Telephone: 02 6279 0100
Web: www.mdba.gov.au
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Water in Storage
MDBA Storages
Week ending Wednesday 30 Sep 2015
Full
Supply
Level
Dartmouth Reservoir
Hume Reservoir
Lake Victoria
Menindee Lakes
Total
Total Active MDBA Storage
Full
Supply
Volume
(m AHD)
486.00
192.00
27.00
Current
Storage Level
Current
(m AHD)
463.01
182.75
26.59
(GL)
2 523
1 473
627
101
4 724
%
65%
49%
93%
6%
51%
767
815
1 990
75%
50%
60%
(GL)
3 856
3 005
677
1 731*
9 269
Major State Storages
Burrinjuck Reservoir
Blowering Reservoir
Eildon Reservoir
1 026
1 631
3 334
Storage
Dead
Storage
Active
Storage
(GL)
71
23
100
(- -) #
--
(GL)
2 452
1 450
527
0
4 429
53% ^
3
24
100
764
791
1 890
Change in
Total
Storage for
the Week
(GL)
-37
-27
+11
-1
-54
-13
+5
-44
* Menindee surcharge capacity – 2050 GL
** All Data is rounded to nearest GL **
# NSW takes control of Menindee Lakes when storage falls below 480 GL, and control reverts to MDBA when storage next reaches 640 GL
^ % of total active MDBA storage
Snowy Mountains Scheme
Storage
Lake Eucumbene - Total
Snowy-Murray Component
Target Storage
Snowy diversions for week ending 29 Sep 2015
Active Storage
(GL)
2 306
1 089
1 240
Weekly Change
(GL)
n/a
n/a
Diversion (GL)
From 1 May
2015
208
121
87
334
This Week
Snowy-Murray
Tooma-Tumut
Net Diversion
Murray 1 Release
+4
+6
-2
+13
Major Diversions from Murray and Lower Darling (GL) *
New South Wales
This Week
Murray Irrig. Ltd (Net)
Wakool Sys Allowance
Western Murray Irrigation
Licensed Pumps
Lower Darling
TOTAL
30.2
3.0
0.3
5.3
0.2
39.0
From 1 July
2015
104
13
-3
24
2
140
Victoria
This Week
Yarrawonga Main Channel (net)
Torrumbarry System + Nyah (net)
Sunraysia Pumped Districts
Licensed pumps - GMW (Nyah+u/s)
Licensed pumps - LMW
TOTAL
12.3
0.1
1.8
0.6
4
18.8
From 1
July 2015
46
67
9
5
29
156
* Figures derived from estimates and monthly data. Please note that not all data may have been available at the time of creating this report.
** All data above is rounded to nearest 100 ML for weekly data and nearest GL for cumulative data**
Flow to South Australia (GL)
* Flow to SA will be greater than normal
entitlement for this month due to the delivery of
additional environmental water.
Salinity (EC)
Entitlement this month
Flow this week
Flow so far this month
Flow last month
135.0 *
70.8
259.8
209.8
(10 100 ML/day)
(microSiemens/cm at 25o C)
Current
Swan Hill
Euston
Red Cliffs
Merbein
Burtundy (Darling)
Lock 9
Lake Victoria
Berri
Waikerie
Morgan
Mannum
Murray Bridge
Milang (Lake Alex.)
Poltalloch (Lake Alex.)
Meningie (Lake Alb.)
Goolwa Barrages
Average over the last week
70
180
160
940
150
250
200
250
270
330
370
740
540
2 060
1 010
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Average since 1 August 2015
80
160
160
940
130
230
200
270
280
340
360
740
570
2 100
970
Telephone: 02 6279 0100
Web: www.mdba.gov.au
80
130
140
900
150
210
230
310
310
330
360
720
580
2 040
1 000
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River Levels and Flows
Week ending Wednesday 30 Sep 2015
7.3
-
1.72
2.98
3.37
3.32
2.38
3.36
2.01
2.58
1.99
1.15
3.06
1.66
3.24
3.94
0.92
208.24
219.87
157.00
151.79
149.82
129.38
117.05
106.42
80.54
64.07
52.18
43.50
28.00
20.87
-
(ML/day)
2 450
4 360
7 010
18 170
18 940
16 750
12 960
12 630
5 920
5 710
8 160
8 570
9 950
10 810
9 410
7 820
F
F
F
R
R
S
R
F
F
F
R
F
F
F
R
F
(ML/day)
2 520
5 080
7 080
16 660
17 400
16 820
12 380
12 400
6 110
5 570
8 400
11 500
12 790
12 530
9 310
8 170
Average
Flow last
Week
(ML/day)
3 890
6 260
7 120
16 210
17 300
16 300
12 090
12 250
6 350
6 780
10 960
16 540
16 540
15 410
9 680
7 130
2.8
11.9
9.0
5.5
5.0
6.1
9.0
-
1.40
8.10
1.36
1.63
2.41
1.59
1.80
3.28
4.11
0.97
154.63
145.78
92.78
81.40
57.79
55.09
57.76
-
1 120
880
740
1 480
1 790
840
1 410
230
410
0
F
F
S
F
F
F
S
F
S
F
1 300
1 030
790
1 350
1 930
810
1 680
280
400
0
1 560
1 330
860
1 310
2 030
650
5 380
470
350
0
7 160
9 100
Minor Flood
Stage
River Murray
Khancoban
Jingellic
Tallandoon ( Mitta Mitta River )
Heywoods
Doctors Point
Albury
Corowa
Yarrawonga Weir (d/s)
Tocumwal
Torrumbarry Weir (d/s)
Swan Hill
Wakool Junction
Euston Weir (d/s)
Mildura Weir (d/s)
Wentworth Weir (d/s)
Rufus Junction
Blanchetown (Lock 1 d/s)
(m)
Tributaries
Kiewa at Bandiana
Ovens at Wangaratta
Goulburn at McCoys Bridge
Edward at Stevens Weir (d/s)
Edward at Liewah
Wakool at Stoney Crossing
Murrumbidgee at Balranald
Barwon at Mungindi
Darling at Bourke
Darling at Burtundy Rocks
Gauge
local (m)
4.0
4.2
5.5
5.5
4.3
4.6
6.4
6.4
7.3
4.5
8.8
9.1
Height
(m AHD)
Flow
Trend
Average Flow
this Week
Natural Inflow to Hume
(i.e. Pre Dartmouth & Snowy Mountains scheme)
Weirs and Locks Pool levels above or below Full Supply Level (FSL)
Murray
Yarrawonga
No. 26 Torrumbarry
No. 15 Euston
No. 11 Mildura
No. 10 Wentworth
No. 9 Kulnine
No. 8 Wangumma
Lower Lakes
FSL (m AHD)
124.90
86.05
47.60
34.40
30.80
27.40
24.60
u/s
-0.15
+0.00
+0.61
+0.03
+0.08
+0.18
+0.80
d/s
+0.34
+0.60
+0.85
+0.72
FSL (m AHD)
22.10
19.25
16.30
13.20
9.80
6.10
3.20
No. 7 Rufus River
No. 6 Murtho
No. 5 Renmark
No. 4 Bookpurnong
No. 3 Overland Corner
No. 2 Waikerie
No. 1 Blanchetown
u/s
+0.50
+0.02
+0.37
+0.02
+0.00
+0.42
-0.10
d/s
+1.62
+0.55
+0.32
+1.16
+0.66
+0.24
+0.17
FSL = 0.75 m AHD
Lake Alexandrina average level for the past 5 days (m AHD)
Barrages
0.80
Fishways at Barrages
Openings
Level (m AHD)
No. Open
Goolwa
128 openings
0.81
1
Mundoo
26 openings
0.79
All closed
Boundary Creek
6 openings
0.1
Ewe Island
111 gates
All closed
Tauwitchere
322 gates
0.81
6
AHD = Level relative to Australian Height Datum, i.e. height above sea level
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Week ending Wednesday 30 Sep 2015
State Allocations (as at 30 Sep 2015)
NSW - Murray Valley
High security
General security
Victorian - Murray Valley
97%
4%
NSW – Murrumbidgee Valley
High security
General security
95%
27%
68%
0%
Victorian - Goulburn Valley
High reliability
Low reliability
66%
0%
South Australia – Murray Valley
NSW - Lower Darling
High security
General security
High reliability
Low reliability
20%
0%
High security
100%
NSW :
http://www.water.nsw.gov.au/Water-management/Water-availability/Waterallocations/Water-allocations-summary/water-allocations-summary/default.aspx
VIC :
SA :
http://www.nvrm.net.au/allocations/current.aspx
http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/managing-natural-resources/river-murray
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Mitta Mitta Flow Advice
1 October 2015
Mitta Mitta flow update
Landholders and river users, including pumpers, on the Mitta Mitta River are advised to take into
account forecast releases of water from Dartmouth Dam and make any necessary adjustment to their
river activities.
Releases from Dartmouth Dam are temporarily reducing to 4,500 ML/day in early October, to
minimise the likelihood of bank slumping along the Mitta Mitta river and to provide an opportunity for
AGL and GMW to undertake maintenance works. Following the maintenance works, releases are
expected to increase to around 7,000 ML/day.
The information below assumes dry conditions, with little or no rainfall for the period.
Forecast Mitta Mitta flows for October
Date
Releases from
Dartmouth Dam
Colemans Gauge
Tallandoon Gauge
Flow
(ML/day)
Height
(m)
Flow
(ML/day)
Height
(m)
Saturday 3 October
Flows reducing
7,000
2.48
7,200
2.99
Tuesday 6 October
Flows steady
4,500
2.16
4,800
2.58
Monday 12 October
Flows increasing
4,500
2.16
4,800
2.58
Wednesday 14
October
Flows steady
~ 7,000
2.48
7,200
2.99
If dry conditions persist, releases are expected to be above 5,000 ML/day over summer.
The releases from Dartmouth Dam may vary from those forecast and flows on the Mitta Mitta may
increase at any time if there’s rainfall in the catchment downstream of the dam.
A further flow advice will be issued when there is a significant change to releases.
Landholders and river users on the Mitta Mitta are advised to regularly check the current flows and
forecasts on the MDBA website for more information on releases from Dartmouth Dam:
www.mdba.gov.au/river-data/current-information-forecasts/storage-volumes
Live river data for Dartmouth Dam, the Mitta Mitta and other sites on the Murray system can be seen
at http://livedata.mdba.gov.au
Summary information about the River Murray system is available in the River Murray weekly report at:
www.mdba.gov.au/river-data/current-information-forecasts/weekly-report
ENDS
For more information, contact the MDBA Media office at media@mdba.gov.au or 02 6279 0141.
Follow us on Twitter: @MD_Basin_Auth
Join the discussion on the MDBA blog: http://freeflow.mdba.gov.au
Page 8 of 8