River Murray Weekly Report
For the week ending Wednesday, 26 November2018
Trim Ref:D14/51631
Rainfall and Inflows
Very hot weather affected most of the Murray-Darling Basin during the last week with maximum temperatures at some locations peaking close to or above record levels for the final month of spring. Conditions stayed mostly dry across the Basin until a trough system arrived during the second half of the week. The trough brought rain and storms focussed mainly over the southern Basin and cooler temperatures in its wake. Similar rainfall totals to the previous week were recorded across the Basin’s south-east, with worthwhile totals in excess of 15 mm stretching further west across a large swathe of southern NSW (Map 1).
The highest weekly rainfall totals in Victoria included 50 mm at Rocky Valley, 45 mm at Granite Flat and 44 mm at Yackandandah. There were totals up to about 50 mm over the NSW Snowy Mountains, while elsewhere in the State’s south, there was 36 mm at Tocumwal, 35 mm at Wagga and 30 mm at Deniliquin. In western NSW, 22 mm fell at both Wentworth and Pooncarie; while totals across Queensland’s Darling Downs included 34 mm at The Head and 27 mm at Killarney.
Map 1 - Murray-Darling Basin rainfall for the week ending 26th November 2014 (Source: Bureau of Meteorology).
Stream flows along the upper system tributaries responded quickly following the rain with levels at some gauges climbing briefly to their highest level since mid-October. However, rapid recessions mean that inflow volumes from the rain will be relatively small. For example, on the upper Mitta Mitta River, the flow at Hinnomunjie Bridge increased from just under 300 to 850 ML/day before falling to 500 ML/day. On the Ovens River, the flow at Rocky Point jumped from about 500 to 1,550 ML/day but has since receded to below 700 ML/day.
River Operations
Thunderstorm activitytowards the end of the week generated heavy bursts of rainfall across the mid-Murray,stimulatinga short rise in river levels and a drop in irrigation demand.Follow-up rain forecast over the coming week has the potential to generate reasonable inflowsif falls in the higher end of the forecast range eventuate.
Despite the recent rain, inflows to the Murray system for November continue to track well below the long-term average (see graph on page six of this report). Whilst El Niño thresholds have not been fully met, El Niño-like impacts have been observed in recent months across eastern Australia with generally above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall. The latest climate outlook from the Bureau of Meteorology indicates that drier conditions are likely to persist across much of south-east Australia for the next three months (December-February). Transfers of water downstream to Lake Victoria remain ongoing to keep the storage as high as possible leading into the summer months.
MDBA total storage decreased by 105 GL this week, with the active storage now 5,752 GL (68% capacity). At Dartmouth Reservoir, the storage volume decreased 40 GL to 3,418 GL (89% capacity). The release is steady at 7,000 ML/day as water is transferred downstream to Hume Reservoir.
Storage at Hume Reservoir decreased 40 GL this week to 1,969 GL (66% capacity). Releases from Hume are around 13,500 ML/day and likely to remain close to this rateover the next few days as operators monitor the upcoming rainfall event.
At Yarrawonga Weir, diversions to the major irrigation off-takes eased from 4,200 ML/day to 3,400 ML/day at Mulwala Canal and 1,300 ML/day to 700 ML/day at Yarrawonga Main Channel.The reduction in irrigation orders combined with heavy local rainfall resulted in the weir pool swiftly rising to 124.83mAHD. The release from Yarrawonga Weir is planned to temporarily increase from 10,300 ML/day to 12,000 ML/day next week in order to bring the weir pool down prior to further forecast rain. Several of the regulators within Barmah-Millewa Forest will be opened in response to the higher flows.
On the Edward River system, the combined flow through the Edward and Gulpa offtakes is steady at 1,900 ML/day. Diversions to the Wakool Main Canal are currently 600 ML/day. The flow downstream of Stevens Weir is steady at 2,650 ML/day with the addition of water from the Edward escape.
On the Goulburn River, the second of two spring pulses released from Lake Eildon has entered the Murray. The flow at McCoys Bridge peaked at 6,350 ML/day, and is now 5,000 ML/day and receding. Water levels along the Murray will fluctuate noticeably as the pulse moves downstream (see attached flow advice).
At Torrumbarry Weir, the diversion to National Channel is 2,100 ML/day. The flow in the Murray downstream of Torrumbarry is currently at a peak of 12,350 ML/day as the pulse from the Goulburn passes. Further downstream, the flow at Swan Hill is currently 9,950 ML/day (Figure 1), and forecast to peak just over 12,000 ML/day in coming days.
Inflow entering the Murray from the Murrumbidgee River at Balranald is around 1,700 ML/day which is primarily Inter-Valley Trade water en-route to Lake Victoria.On the Murray at Euston, the weir pool is 18 cm above the Full Supply Level of 47.6 m AHD and the downstream release is 9,600 ML/day and rising.
At Menindee Lakes, the storage volume has decreased 12 GL to 234 GL (14% capacity). For further information about management of the Menindee Lakes and the lower Darling, please see the latest community information communique issued by NSW Office of Water.
Figure2–The Murray at Swan Hill during the week with a flow of 9,950 ML/day (source: Adam McLean, MDBA)
At Wentworth Weir, the release has been steady at 9,100 ML/day but is expected to rise over the coming week to just over 10,000 ML/day. Lock 9 is being held at around 20 cm above FSL (27.4 m AHD), whilst theLock 8 weir pool is targeting 40 cm above FSL (24.6 m AHD). Both Lock 9 and 8 are planned to return to FSL in December as per the NSW Office of Water weir pool variation trial.
At Lake Victoria, the storage volume decreased 14 GL to 559 GL (83% capacity). The flow to South Australia has been targeting 10,000 ML/day over the past week, which has incorporated entitlement flows together with environmental water from the Goulburn River, Campaspe River, Broken Creek and return flows from Hattah Lakes. The flow to South Australia will be reduced in the coming week to 9,750 ML/day as the volume of environmental water to be deliveredreduces.
The flow over Lock 1 averaged 8,800 ML/day this week and, at the Lower Lakes, the five-day average water level in Lake Alexandrina is 0.69 m AHD. The barrage releases continue to target 2,000 ML/day.
For media inquiries contact the Media Officeron 02 6279 0141
DAVID DREVERMAN
Executive Director, River Management
Water in Storage Week ending Wednesday 26 Nov 2014
MDBA Storages / Full Supply Level / Full Supply Volume / Current Storage Level / Current / Storage / Dead Storage / Active Storage / Change in Total Storage for the Week(m AHD) / (GL) / (m AHD) / (GL) / % / (GL) / (GL) / (GL)
Dartmouth Reservoir / 486.00 / 3 856 / 479.07 / 3 418 / 89% / 71 / 3 347 / -40
Hume Reservoir / 192.00 / 3 005 / 186.20 / 1 969 / 66% / 23 / 1 946 / -40
Lake Victoria / 27.00 / 677 / 26.01 / 559 / 83% / 100 / 459 / -14
Menindee Lakes / 1 731* / 234 / 14% / (- -) # / 0 / -12
Total / 9 269 / 6 180 / 67% / - - / 5 752 / -105
Total Active MDBA Storage / 68% ^
Major State Storages
Burrinjuck Reservoir / 1 026 / 747 / 73% / 3 / 744 / -17
Blowering Reservoir / 1 631 / 742 / 45% / 24 / 718 / -57
Eildon Reservoir / 3 334 / 2 682 / 80% / 100 / 2 582 / -23
*Menindee surcharge capacity – 2050 GL ** All Data is rounded to nearest GL **
# NSW takes control of Menindee Lakes when storage falls below 480 GL, and control reverts to MDBA when storage next reaches 640 GL
^ % of total active MDBA storage
Snowy Mountains Scheme Snowy diversions for week ending 25 Nov 2014
Storage / Active Storage (GL) / Weekly Change (GL) / Diversion (GL) / This Week / From 1 May 2014Lake Eucumbene - Total / 2 229 / n/a / Snowy-Murray / +0 / 202
Snowy-Murray Component / 1 045 / n/a / Tooma-Tumut / +4 / 177
Target Storage / 1 450 / Net Diversion / -4 / 25
Murray 1 Release / +4 / 419
Major Diversions from Murray and Lower Darling (GL) *
New South Wales / This Week / From 1 July 2014 / Victoria / This Week / From 1 July 2014Murray Irrig. Ltd (Net) / 15.5 / 356 / Yarrawonga Main Channel (net) / 8.1 / 119
Wakool Sys Allowance / 0.0 / 24 / Torrumbarry System + Nyah (net) / 11.2 / 315
Western Murray Irrigation / 0.7 / 8 / Sunraysia Pumped Districts / 3.6 / 37
Licensed Pumps / 6.9 / 104 / Licensed pumps - GMW (Nyah+u/s) / 8.7 / 19
Lower Darling / 2.0 / 24 / Licensed pumps - LMW / 10.5 / 154
TOTAL / 25.1 / 516 / TOTAL / 42.1 / 644
* Figures derived from estimates and monthly data. Please note that not all data may have been available at the time of creating this report.
** All data above is rounded to nearest 100 ML for weekly data and nearest GL for cumulative data**
Flow to South Australia (GL)* Flow to SA will be greater than normal entitlement for this month due to the delivery of additional environmental water. / Entitlement this month / 180.0 *
Flow this week / 70.4 / (10 100 ML/day)
Flow so far this month / 260.1
Flow last month / 277.0
Salinity (EC) (microSiemens/cm at 25o C)
Current / Average over the last week / Average since 1 August 2014Swan Hill / 110 / 70 / 90
Euston / - / 80 / 110
Red Cliffs / 120 / 120 / 130
Merbein / 120 / 110 / 130
Burtundy (Darling) / 890 / 640 / 790
Lock 9 / 120 / 120 / 140
Lake Victoria / 220 / 210 / 200
Berri / 200 / 210 / 220
Waikerie / 330 / 330 / 290
Morgan / 350 / 320 / 280
Mannum / 340 / 350 / 330
Murray Bridge / 350 / 340 / 380
Milang (Lake Alex.) / 720 / 720 / 740
Poltalloch (Lake Alex.) / 520 / 510 / 570
Meningie (Lake Alb.) / 2 370 / 2 380 / 2 300
Goolwa Barrages / 970 / 960 / 1 150
River Levels and Flows Week ending Wednesday 26 Nov 2014
Minor Flood Stage / Gauge / Height / Flow / Trend / Average Flow this Week / Average Flow last WeekRiver Murray / (m) / local (m) / (m AHD) / (ML/day) / (ML/day) / (ML/day)
Khancoban / - / - / - / 1 370 / R / 880 / 1 210
Jingellic / 4.0 / 1.51 / 208.03 / 3 170 / R / 2 550 / 2 170
Tallandoon ( Mitta Mitta River ) / 4.2 / 3.01 / 219.90 / 7 250 / F / 7 230 / 4 850
Heywoods / 5.5 / 2.90 / 156.53 / 13 780 / F / 14 640 / 14 260
Doctors Point / 5.5 / 2.97 / 151.44 / 14 300 / F / 15 190 / 14 370
Albury / 4.3 / 1.98 / 149.42 / - / - / - / -
Corowa / 3.8 / 3.35 / 129.37 / 16 390 / F / 14 640 / 15 740
Yarrawonga Weir (d/s) / 6.4 / 1.68 / 116.72 / 10 240 / R / 10 210 / 10 100
Tocumwal / 6.4 / 2.31 / 106.15 / 9 810 / S / 9 780 / 9 660
Torrumbarry Weir (d/s) / 7.3 / 3.79 / 82.34 / 12 350 / R / 10 370 / 7 170
Swan Hill / 4.5 / 1.81 / 64.73 / 9 940 / R / 8 380 / 7 080
Wakool Junction / 8.8 / 3.68 / 52.80 / 10 820 / R / 10 100 / 10 210
Euston Weir (d/s) / 8.8 / 1.90 / 43.74 / 9 610 / R / 9 350 / 10 640
Mildura Weir (d/s) / - / - / - / - / - / -
Wentworth Weir (d/s) / 7.3 / 3.17 / 27.93 / 9 160 / S / 9 430 / 10 950
Rufus Junction / - / 3.98 / 20.91 / 9 690 / R / 9 340 / 9 220
Blanchetown (Lock 1 d/s) / - / 0.89 / - / 8 930 / R / 8 840 / 9 290
Tributaries
Kiewa at Bandiana / 2.7 / 1.29 / 154.52 / 900 / R / 750 / 490
Ovens at Wangaratta / 11.9 / 8.27 / 145.95 / 1 280 / R / 760 / 730
Goulburn at McCoys Bridge / 9.0 / 3.57 / 94.99 / 5 050 / F / 5 310 / 1 040
Edward at Stevens Weir (d/s) / - / 2.40 / 82.17 / 2 640 / F / 2 650 / 2 710
Edward at Liewah / - / 2.92 / 58.30 / 2 450 / R / 2 370 / 2 180
Wakool at Stoney Crossing / - / 1.55 / 55.05 / 740 / S / 770 / 950
Murrumbidgee at Balranald / 5.0 / 2.17 / 58.13 / 1 740 / R / 1 500 / 1 120
Barwon at Mungindi / - / 2.62 / - / 0 / F / 0 / 0
Darling at Bourke / - / 3.97 / - / 30 / F / 30 / 100
Darling at Burtundy Rocks / - / 0.69 / - / 90 / R / 70 / 70
Natural Inflow to Hume / 3 440 / 4 140
(i.e. Pre Dartmouth & Snowy Mountains scheme)
Weirs and LocksPool levels above or below Full Supply Level (FSL)
Murray / FSL (m AHD) / u/s / d/s / FSL (m AHD) / u/s / d/sYarrawonga / 124.90 / -0.07 / - / No. 7 Rufus River / 22.10 / +0.02 / +1.67
No. 26 Torrumbarry / 86.05 / +0.00 / - / No. 6 Murtho / 19.25 / +0.01 / +0.26
No. 15 Euston / 47.60 / +0.18 / - / No. 5 Renmark / 16.30 / +0.11 / +0.40
No. 11 Mildura / 34.40 / +0.00 / +0.26 / No. 4 Bookpurnong / 13.20 / +0.05 / +1.08
No. 10 Wentworth / 30.80 / +0.06 / +0.53 / No. 3 Overland Corner / 9.80 / +0.00 / +0.53
No. 9 Kulnine / 27.40 / +0.19 / +0.49 / No. 2 Waikerie / 6.10 / +0.26 / +0.39
No. 8 Wangumma / 24.60 / +0.40 / +0.28 / No. 1 Blanchetown / 3.20 / +0.00 / +0.14
Lower LakesFSL = 0.75 m AHD
Lake Alexandrina average level for the past 5 days (m AHD) / 0.69Barrages Fishways at Barrages
Openings / Level (m AHD) / No. Open / Rock Ramp / Vertical SlotGoolwa / 128 openings / 0.72 / 3 / - / Open
Mundoo / 26 openings / 0.69 / All closed / - / -
Boundary Creek / 6 openings / - / 0.1 / - / -
Ewe Island / 111 gates / - / All closed / - / -
Tauwitchere / 322 gates / 0.71 / 5 / Open / Open
AHD = Level relative to Australian Height Datum, i.e. height above sea level
GPO Box 1801 Canberra ACT 2601Telephone: 02 6279 0100Facsimile: 02 6248 8053
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Email: Web: ABN 13679821382
Week ending Wednesday 26 Nov 2014
State Allocations (as at 26 Nov 2014)
NSW - Murray Valley / Victorian - Murray ValleyHigh security / 97%
General security / 45%
/ High reliability / 100%
Low reliability / 0%
NSW – MurrumbidgeeValley / Victorian - GoulburnValley
High security / 95%
General security / 40%
/ High reliability / 100%
Low reliability / 0%
NSW - Lower Darling / South Australia – MurrayValley
High security / 100%
General security / 100%
/ High security / 100%
NSW : /
VIC : /
SA : /
Flow advice
19 November 2014
Murray flows to vary from late November
Communities along the River Murray between Echuca and Mildura are reminded that river levels will be changing for a few weeks starting in late November 2014. River users are advised to adjust their activities, pumps and moorings accordingly.
The changes will occur as environmental water released from Lake Eildon enters the Murray from the Goulburn River.
The River Murray is expected to start rising quickly at Echuca from around 24 November. As the water moves along the river, levels will be high for about two weeks before dropping back to their regular height.
Downstream of the Torrumbarry Weir the river is forecast to peak at around four metres as the flow passes through before dropping back to two metres. If conditions remain dry, levels at Swan Hill could rise from 1.3 metres to about two metres at the local gauge.
The environmental pulse will use Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder allocations to benefit fish spawning and vegetation on the Goulburn River, and will boost downstream watering in the mid Murray, lower Murray, Lower Lakes and the Coorong. In addition to the environmental water, the pulse will also include delivery of water traded from the Goulburn Valley to the River Murray.
This will be the second of two environmental pulses from the Goulburn River, the first of which passed through the system from mid-October to early November.
The planned flows in the Goulburn River will be managed by Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority in collaboration with Goulburn-Murray Water, with releases made in line with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder’s Seasonal Watering Plan 2014-15.
River users wanting more information on River Murray heights can receive updates at
Further updates will be provided as required through the media and the MDBA's river operations weekly report.
ENDS
For more information, contact the MDBA Media office at or 02 6279 0141
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