MENINDEE Lakes is flush with fresh inflows, securing short-term supply for residents of Broken Hill and freeing up outflows for downstream irrigators on the Lower Darling.
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Heavy falls across the state means about 100 gigaltires are expected to flow from feeder systems in the Central West into the dry Darling River. WaterNSW will release up to 35GL to downstream users from Thursday.
The first of about 80 irrigators on the Lower Darling will see fresh flow from next week, which are expected to hit Pooncarie by August.
Broken Hill and Menindee town supply, using treated lake water, is secure until early 2018, WaterNSW said in a statement.
NSW government has suspended development of a shallow borefiled in Lake Menindee. It was planned as a temporary measure and state government announced a long term fix in in June, with a $500 million, 270 kilometre pipeline to bring about 10GL a year of Murray River water from Wentworth to Broken Hill.
The pipeline is slated to start pumping to town by late 2018.
Broken Hill has suffered from uncertain water supply from the start. The 600GL Menindee lake system can lose up to 450GL a year through evaporation.
Releases from Lake Wetherell, an upstream lake in the Menindee system, would rise to a maximum rate of 1.5GL a day in the coming days, giving the riparian environment a much-needed flush. Releases would taper down to 150 megalitres, to prolong flows for as long as possible. .
Water levels upstream of weir 32, in Menindee Lakes, is 0.97m and at the peak forecast flow of 1,500ML/day that is expected to rise to 1.95m. WaterNSW advised landholders to make plans to manage pump locations and other infrastructure.
“There is every likelihood that rain events in mid-July could eventually add to the volume of water making its way to the Darling River and downstream to Menindee Lakes,” WaterNSW said.
