Regional drought update 5 November 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 .

• During the past week, rainfall was received over the Southern, Central and Norther regions of NSW. The eastern parts of the state remained dry. The Riverina, Upper Western and Snowy Mountains areas received the higher end of the rainfall over 25mm.

• A weak ridge of high pressure will extend across western parts of the state on Tuesday as the front moves further east over the Tasman Sea. Following this, a series of fronts are forecast to skim across the south for the second half of the week.

• As the week progresses most of the state is predicted to remain dry apart from the southern regions which could see falls from 1 to 15mm.

• Across the 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.

• The drier outlook continues into December for NSW, although the chance of drier conditions is lower compared to November. The summer (December to February) outlook is far more neutral, although most of eastern Australia remains likely to be drier than average.

• WaterNSW and DPIE continue to roll out regional drought and water availability information sessions, continuing into late November. WaterNSW also running separate ROSCCOs.

Regional Weekly Drought Response Water Report 2

Weather

During the past week, rainfall was received over the entire state apart from the Northern Rivers Region which remained dry. Rainfall of up to 75mm was received in the Upper Western region, the Riverina received around 30 – 50mmSouthern with other parts of the state receiving between 1 –

25mm.

This week’s forecast: A weak ridge of high pressure will extend across western parts of the state on Tuesday as the front moves further east over the Tasman Sea. Following this, a series of fronts are forecast to skim across the south for the second half of the week.

For the first part of the week New South Wales is predicted to receive from 1 to 50mm of rainfall with the central to eastern parts of the state predicted to receive the higher falls.

As the week progresses most of the state is predicted to remain dry apart from the southern regions which could see falls from 1 to 15mm.

Longer-term outlook: Issued 31 October 2019

• Drier than average conditions are likely but may start to ease in summer.

Regional Weekly Drought Response Water Report 3

• Rainfall is likely to be below average across most of the New South Wales for November.

• The drier outlook continues into December for NSW, although the chance of drier conditions is lower compared to November. The summer (December to February) outlook is far more neutral, although most of eastern Australia remains likely to be drier than average.

• While outlooks for drier than average conditions may ease for some areas in the coming months, it should be noted that several months of above average rainfall would be needed to see a recovery from current long- term rainfall deficiencies.

o Water Quality

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

Regional Weekly Drought Response Water Report 4

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. Drought heat map

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

Regional Weekly Drought Response Water Report 5

Rural Dam Levels: 4 November 2019

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

Border Rivers

Releases ceased. Glenlyon Dam, Stanthorpe (Qld) 254 3% 7 -0 <20% 100% 0% <1%

4% 14 -0 C’over restricted to 50% , 312 <20% 100% 0% <1% Deliverability restricted

Gwydir Valley

Copeton Dam, Inverell 1346 8% 104 -4 Deliverability restricted <5% 100% 0% 3% Namoi Valley

Keepit Dam, Gunnedah 419 1% 4 -0 C’over restricted to 0% <20% 75% 0% 5% Split Rock Dam, Manilla 394 1% 6 -0 C’over restricted to 75% <5% 75% 0% 22% Chaffey Dam, Tamworth 98 18% 18 -0 Deliverability restricted <50% 50% 0% N/A Macquarie Valley

Burrendong Dam, Wellington 1154 4% 44 -2 C’over restricted to 0% <20% 70% 0% 0% Deliverability restricted , Mudgee 367 30% 111 -1 Regulated releases. <5% 70% 0% 54%

Lachlan Valley

Wyangala Dam, Cowra 1216 18% 220 -8 C’over restricted to 57% <20% 87% 0% 15% Carcoar Dam, Carcoar 36 18% 7 -0 Deliverability restricted 10% 100% 0% 38% Murrumbidgee Valley

Burrinjuck Dam, Yass 1025 33% 340 -1 Min Planned eWater 40% 95% 6% 8% , Tumut 1604 56% 904 14 Min Planned eWater <10% 95% 6% 8% Murray

Dartmouth, Mitta Mitta (Vic) 3837 54% 2056 -21 Transfers to Hume N/A N/A N/A N/A , Albury 2982 38% 1142 -22 Env orders and L Vic <25% 97% 0% 18% Lower Darling

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

Hunter Valley

Glenbawn Dam, Scone 750 46% 342 -7 Regulated releases 20% 100% 95% 23% Glennies Ck Dam, Singleton 282 47% 132 -2 Regulated releases 20% 100% 95% 23% , Gresford 20 73% 14 -0 Regulated releases 100% 100% 100% N/A Coastal Area

Toonumbar Dam, Kyogle 11 42% 5 -0 Regulated releases 100% 100% 100% N/A , Bega 9 60% 5 -0 Regulated releases 100% 100% 40% N/A Total 17748 30.9 5484 -56

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 litre

Regional Weekly Drought Response Water Report 6

DETAILS – VALLEY OVERVIEW Storage Weekly AWD Inflows Releases GS Volume inflows Comment Required 4 November 2019 ML/d % AWD (GL) (GL) (GL)

Valley Dams

Pindari 14 0 14 Releases ceased from Glenlyon. Border 0 31 Glenlyon 7.4 0 0 Minimum releases from Pindari.

Current releases from are environmental water releases, Gwydir Copeton 103 0.0 700 minimum required releases to meet 0 57 WSP and minor general and high security irrigation demand.

Current releases are for Upper Namoi Split Rock 5.5 0 29 needs. No further releases from Keepit Namoi 0 123 Keepit 3.7 0 0 into the Lower Namoi until inflows occur.

Chaffey Dam releases for Tamworth. Peel Chaffey 17.9 0 62 0 N/A*** Level 4 water restriction for Tamworth.

Current releases from Burrendong Burrendong 44 0 240 Dam are for town and D&S demand. Macquarie 0 395 Windamere 111 0 90 Current release from Windamere Dam are for Cudgegong demand.

Regional customer drought update 7

Storage Weekly AWD Inflows Releases GS Volume inflows Comment Required 4 November 2019 ML/d % AWD (GL) (GL) (GL)

Valley Dams

Current releases from are mainly for TWS, Irrigation and S&D replenishment. Wyangala 220 0 1220 Lachlan Current releases from 0 377 Carcoar 6.6 0 1 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 2.3 for: irrigation, planned environmental Burrinjuck 340 420 water (1,087ML/d at Balranald and Murrumbidgee 6 Blowering 903 54* 5000 50ML/day at Darlot), held environmental water to Lowbidgee and IVT Murrumbidgee to Murray.

Transfers from Hume for eWater and Murray Hume 1142 51** 8600 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 10.6 0 Negligible 0 N/A Releases from Lake Wetherell ceased on 12 Feb 2019.

Regional customer drought update 8

Storage Weekly AWD Inflows Releases GS Volume inflows Comment Required 4 November 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.

Regional customer drought update 9