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Cover Photos: Lake Eildon tower, Tom Ryan, Arthur Rylah Institute Dartmouth Dam from pondage, Peter Liepkalins, G-MW, Dartmouth Hume Dam release, Jarod Lyon, Arthur Rylah Institute Status of cold water releases from Victorian dams Report produced for Catchment and Water, Department of Natural Resources and Environment Prepared by Tom Ryan, Angus Webb, Ruth Lennie and Jarod Lyon Published by: Department of Natural Resources and Environment Arthur Rylah Institute 123 Brown Street Heidelberg, Victoria, 3084 November 2001 Copyright State Government of Victoria, Department of Natural Resources and Environment 2001. ISBN 0 7311 4971 8 This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. Status of Cold Water Releases from Victorian Dams TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ..............................................................................................................................................II EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................ III INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................1 THERMAL POLLUTION – CHANGES IN THE TEMPERATURE REGIME OF NATURAL WATERS ....................................1 EFFECTS OF DAMS ON RIVER TEMPERATURES IN SOUTH-EASTERN AUSTRALIA.....................................................1 BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THERMAL POLLUTION....................................................................................................2 Reduced temperature variability......................................................................................................................3 Removal of rapid Spring - Summer increases and delay of peak temperatures...............................................4 Rapid changes in temperature .........................................................................................................................4 Effects of dams on stream biodiversity ............................................................................................................4 ASSOCIATED EFFECTS OF HYPOLIMNIAL DISCHARGES ..........................................................................................5 THIS STUDY ..........................................................................................................................................................5 METHODS.............................................................................................................................................................7 ASSESSMENT OF DAMS .........................................................................................................................................7 COMPILATION OF TEMPERATURE DATA ................................................................................................................8 RESULTS ...............................................................................................................................................................9 CLASSIFICATION OF PRIORITY RESEARCH DAMS..................................................................................................9 INVESTIGATION OF MAXIMUM PRIORITY RESEARCH DAMS ...............................................................................11 Lake Dartmouth .............................................................................................................................................11 Hume Dam and Murray River .......................................................................................................................14 Mt. Beauty Regulating Pondage and the Kiewa River...................................................................................16 Lake William Hovell ......................................................................................................................................18 Lake Nillahcootie and Loombah Weir ...........................................................................................................20 Lake Eildon....................................................................................................................................................22 Malmsbury Reservoir.....................................................................................................................................24 Lake Eppalock ...............................................................................................................................................26 Cairn Curran Reservoir.................................................................................................................................28 Tullaroop Reservoir and Laanecoorie Reservoir ..........................................................................................28 Lake Bellfield .................................................................................................................................................31 Glenmaggie Reservoir ...................................................................................................................................31 Cardinia Reservoir ........................................................................................................................................34 Upper Yarra Valley (O’Shannassy Reservoir, Upper Yarra Reservoir, Silvan dams)...................................34 Pykes Creek, Merrimu and Melton reservoirs ...............................................................................................37 Bostock Reservoir ..........................................................................................................................................39 West Barwon Dam .........................................................................................................................................39 Rocklands Reservoir ......................................................................................................................................39 INVESTIGATION OF MEDIUM PRIORITY DAMS ....................................................................................................42 Lake Buffalo...................................................................................................................................................42 Barkers Creek Reservoir................................................................................................................................42 Newlyn Reservoir...........................................................................................................................................42 Blue Rock Reservoir and Lake Narracan ......................................................................................................44 Moondarra Reservoir ....................................................................................................................................44 Tarago Reservoir ...........................................................................................................................................46 Maroondah Reservoir....................................................................................................................................46 Expedition Pass Reservoir .............................................................................................................................46 Moorabool Reservoir and Lal Lal Reservoir.................................................................................................48 DISCUSSION.......................................................................................................................................................50 LOCATION OF MONITORING SITES .......................................................................................................................50 TEMPORAL RESOLUTION OF SAMPLES .................................................................................................................51 IMPROVING TEMPERATURE MONITORING...........................................................................................................52 RESEARCH AND MONITORING PROTOCOL............................................................................................................52 i Status of Cold Water Releases from Victorian Dams Water temperature monitoring...................................................................................................................... 52 Biological Monitoring................................................................................................................................... 53 ASSESSMENT CRITERIA...................................................................................................................................... 54 MANAGEMENT OF COLD WATER POLLUTION...................................................................................................... 55 Operational constraints ................................................................................................................................ 55 RECOMMENDATIONS.........................................................................................................................................