Regional drought update 22 October 2019

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Key customer messages

• WaterNSW is working alongside NSW Government water authorities in responding to one of the worst droughts ever experienced in .

• The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) Climate Outlook released on 4 October 2019, indicates a low likelihood of the drought conditions breaking during the remainder of Spring. • During the past week, the North Eastern and South Eastern parts of the state received rainfall of up to 15mm.

• For the first part of the week, the entire state is forecast to remain dry. As the week progresses, negligible rainfall is forecast across the Southern, Central and Eastern parts of the state. The Northern regions of the state are forecast to remain dry.

• Across the drought-hit northern river valleys and the Far West, water for critical human needs will be top priority as storages reach critical lows and more rivers and creeks run dry.

• Updating key media and customers on Peel works, as pipes are being unloaded this week. In essence the Dungowan works start 21 October. First milestone – and more added until end of November.

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Weather

During the past week, the North Eastern and South Eastern parts of the state received rainfall of up to 15mm. Areas to receive the higher rainfall were the Mid North Coast, Northern Tablelands and the Snowy Mountains regions. Most other Southern regions of the state received 1 – 5mm. Again the Upper and Lower Western regions as well as the Central West Slopes and Plains remained dry.

This week’s forecast: A high-pressure system centred near Adelaide extends a ridge across New South Wales and will continue to move east towards the Tasman Sea, promoting generally dry, clear conditions and increasing warmth until a cold front arrives on Friday.

For the first part of the week, the entire state is forecast to remain dry. As the week progresses, negligible rainfall is forecast across the Southern, Central and Eastern parts of the state. The Northern regions of the state are forecast to remain dry.

Longer-term outlook:

Drier than average likely but may start to ease in summer. (Issued: 10 October 2019)

Rainfall is likely to be below average for most of NSW for the remainder of October and November.

The outlook for NSW is forecast to have roughly equal chances of being wetter or drier than average.

While the outlooks for drier than average conditions ease in the coming months, it should be noted that this won't necessarily ease the current rainfall deficiencies. Several months of above average rainfall would be needed to see a recovery from current conditions.

Regional Weekly Drought Response Water Report 3

Water Quality

Red algal alerts continue at three sites around NSW regional monitoring sites within the state. These alerts are being seen at: • Richmond River at Casino, • Macintyre River at Malgarai and • at Coorong. Please visit here for more detailed information.

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Incident Response Guide Criticality Level

There has been no change in criticality levels throughout the state in the last week.

Please visit https://www.industry.nsw.gov.au/water/allocations-availability/allocations/summary for more detailed information.

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Drought heat map

Please visit https://edis.dpi.nsw.gov.au for more information

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Rural Dam Levels: 18 October 2019

Cap- River Valley Current Status Comments Allocations for 2019/20 acity Likeli- Weekly hood % of change Est Carry- Storage Dam, Nearest active Active of fill High Gen. (GL) (GL) Supply Issues over @ Town cap- (GL) and spill Security Security 1/7/19 acity

Border Rivers

Releases ceased. Glenlyon Dam, 254 3% 8 0 <20% 100% 0% <1% Stanthorpe 5% 14 -0 C’over restricted to 50% 312 <20% 100% 0% <1% Pindari Dam, Inverell Deliverability restricted

Gwydir Valley

Copeton Dam, Inverell 1346 8% 111 -2 Deliverability restricted <5% 100% 0% 3%

Namoi Valley

Keepit Dam, 419 1% 4 -0 C’over restricted to 0% <20% 75% 0% 5%

Split Rock Dam, Manilla 394 2% 6 -0 C’over restricted to 75% <5% 75% 0% 22%

Chaffey Dam, Tamworth 98 19% 19 -0 Deliverability restricted <50% 50% 0% N/A

Macquarie Valley

Burrendong Dam, 4% 48 -2 C’over restricted to 0% 1154 <20% 70% 0% 0% Wellington Deliverability restricted

Windamere Dam, 367 31% 113 -1 Regulated releases. <5% 70% 0% 54%

Lachlan Valley

Wyangala Dam, Cowra 1216 19% 236 -8 C’over restricted to 57% <20% 87% 0% 15%

Carcoar Dam, Carcoar 36 19% 7 -0 Deliverability restricted 10% 100% 0% 38%

Murrumbidgee Valley

Burrinjuck Dam, Yass 1025 33% 341 0 Min Planned eWater 40% 95% 6% 8%

Blowering Dam, 1604 56% 895 -4 Min Planned eWater <10% 95% 6% 8%

Murray

Dartmouth, Mitta Mitta 3837 55% 2102 -21 Transfers to Hume N/A N/A N/A N/A

Hume Dam, 2982 39% 1176 -20 Env orders and L Vic <25% 97% 0% 18%

Lower Darling

Menindee Lakes, Broken 1633 1% 11 -1 Restrictions in place N/A 30% 0% 19% Hill Hunter Valley

Glenbawn Dam, Scone 750 47% 354 -5 Regulated releases 20% 100% 95% 23%

Glennies Ck Dam, 282 48% 135 -1 Regulated releases 20% 100% 95% 23%

Lostock Dam, Gresford 20 77% 15 -0 Regulated releases 100% 100% 100% N/A

Coastal Area

Toonumbar Dam, Kyogle 11 47% 5 -0 Regulated releases 100% 100% 100% N/A

Brogo Dam, Bega 9 67% 6 -0 Regulated releases 100% 100% 40% N/A

Total 17748 31.6% 5607 -65

WaterNSW has water resources in Dartmouth, Hume and Glenlyon . TWS = Town Water Supplies. 1 Gigalitre (GL) = 1,000 Megalitres (ML) 1 ML = 1,000,000 litres

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DETAILS – VALLEY OVERVIEW Storage Weekly AWD Inflows Releases GS Volume inflows Comment Required 21 October 2019 ML/d % AWD (GL) (GL) (GL)

Valley Dams

Pindari 14.2 0 13 Releases ceased from Glenlyon. Border 0 30.4 Glenlyon 7.4 0 0 Minimum releases from Pindari.

Current releases from are environmental water releases, Gwydir Copeton 110 0.4 500 minimum required releases to meet 0 41 WSP and minor general and high security irrigation demand.

Current releases are for Upper Namoi Split Rock 6.1 0 17 needs. No further releases from Keepit Namoi 0 95 Keepit 3.8 0 0 into the Lower Namoi until inflows occur.

Chaffey Dam releases for Tamworth. Peel Chaffey 18.8 0 50 0 N/A*** Level 4 water restriction for Tamworth.

Current releases from Burrendong Burrendong 48 0 223 Dam are for town and D&S demand. Macquarie 0 395 Windamere 113 0 68 Current release from are for Cudgegong demand.

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Storage Weekly AWD Inflows Releases GS Volume inflows Comment Required 21 October 2019 ML/d % AWD (GL) (GL) (GL)

Valley Dams

Current releases from Dam are mainly for TWS, Irrigation and S&D replenishment. Wyangala 236 0 1025 Lachlan Current releases from 0 332 Carcoar 7.2 0 31 are due to pulse flow. Due to drought conditions, the end of system daily environmental flow requirement have been temporarily suspended.

Minimum releases meeting demand 3.4 for: irrigation, planned environmental Burrinjuck 341 460 water (1,087ML/d at and Murrumbidgee 6 Blowering 895 28* 4600 50ML/day at Darlot), held environmental water to Lowbidgee and IVT Murrumbidgee to Murray.

Transfers from Hume for eWater and Murray Hume 1181 45** 9250 S.A. at higher rates as flows from 0 130 Kiewa and Ovens Rivers reducing.

Cease to flow conditions have re- Barwon-Darling N/A N/A commenced from Mungindi to N/A N/A Wilcannia.

Four block banks have been constructed and filled, pipes closed. Lower-Darling Menindee 11.5 0 Negligible 0 N/A Releases from Lake Wetherell ceased on 12 Feb 2019.

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Storage Weekly AWD Inflows Releases GS Volume inflows Comment Required 21 October 2019 ML/d % AWD (GL) (GL) (GL)

Valley Dams

Supply to Broken Hill is being met from W2BH pipeline.

* Includes inflows from , already budgeted. ** Includes inflows from Dartmouth and Snowy Hydro, already budgeted. *** The Department of Industry / Water monitors the resources regularly and the water allocation statement for the Peel regulated river is revised accordingly, depending on resource availability.

More information

Stay up-to-date with storage levels, system risks and climate conditions across NSW. You can also find valley-specific information about storage status, predicted release patterns and operating conditions. Subscribe to have the report emailed to you each week. Please visit our website at waternsw.com.au/subscribe for more information.

For more information, visit our website at waternsw.com.au/drought or call us on 1300 662 077.

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