Regional dams topping 90% coming into growing season

The combined storage volume for regional NSW dams is currently 94% of capacity, with only Pindari (84%) in the state’s far north below 90% coming into the Spring growing season.

The combined total for major northern dams is 94%; for coastal storages outside Sydney its 96%; in the state’s south the figure is 93%; and in the Hunter/central region 96%.

Across the northern inland – already experiencing drier conditions and typically hit by drought first and hardest – three of the five major WaterNSW dams are all but full:

• Pindari – 84%
• Copeton – 92%
• Split Rock – 98%
• Keepit – 98%
• Chaffey 100%

In the state’s Central West and Hunter region, all of the five major supply dams are at 94% of capacity or more:

• Glenbawn – 97%
• Glennies Creek – 95%
• Windamere – 97%
• Burrendong – 94%
• Wyangala – 100%

The two major supply dams managed by WaterNSW in the state’s south are also well stocked:

• Burrinjuck - 98%
• Blowering – 90%

WaterNSW General Manager Water Planning and Delivery, Ashley Webb said WaterNSW works with the water branch of the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) to manage storages and deliver water to users as efficiently as possible.

“While indications are that we are entering a dry period, at this stage storage levels in major supply dams for regional NSW represent an excellent water security outlook, with the growing season for commodities like cotton, rice, soybeans, along with fruit and vegetables about to commence.

“For the time being the high storages also mean we must remain vigilant for the prospect of any major inflow events that could push dams like Burrinjuck and Wyangala to capacity, and spill,” he said.

“The advice from the Bureau of Meteorology is that we are likely to face a dry spring and summer, and there has certainly been a dramatic fall in rain and runoff into the dams across the central and northern inland parts of the state in particular.

“Our task is to implement the government’s decisions on water access as efficiently as possible, to extend surface supplies and ensure irrigators, communities and the environment can access these water allocations for as long as possible should we return to drought conditions.”

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