Lake Cargelligo drawdown ends as upgrade continues

The storage was lowered as part of a major embankment upgrade underway on the Lake Cargelligo storage, a project hampered by flood impacts to the structures and the region in recent years.

WaterNSW will host an information stall, at the Festival of the Lakes event to provide information on the project to date and anticipated next steps. WaterNSW and project partner Diona are joint sponsors of the festival, which will occur over the October long weekend - 30 September to 1 October.

Despite the challenges posed by the major flooding in the region and procurement and supply issues, the following work was completed between June and August:

• Surveying vegetation within the project area, and clearing trees and vegetation in preparation for the new embankments
• Stockpiling resources and materials
• Conditioning and preparing materials required for embankment construction
• Trials to ensure the quality of key materials and the embankment construction methodology.

A WaterNSW spokesperson said the next phase of work in 2023 no longer require the storage levels to be held at current levels.

“Following the completion of the storage drawdown, other work planned for the remainder of 2023 will include ongoing vegetation removal, earthworks to remove material and then expand the structure, removal of excess water from the downstream side and bore drilling and trench digging.

“Future increases in the lake level following the end of the drawdown will depend on rainfall and operational requirements and we’ll keep the community updated as the project progresses.

“We are finalising a work program for what is required in 2024 and will consult closely with our customers and impacted stakeholders as soon as a program is finalised.”

For more information on the Festival of the Lakes event, visit Festival of the Lakes.