Water is now being released from Jindabyne Dam by Snowy Hydro into the Snowy River as part of an unplanned managed water release.
Lake Jindabyne is filling fast due to continued rain over recent weeks and the spring snow melt. Residents will have observed that the rising water has started to cut off the Lake Foreshore path in some areas, and it is set to only continue higher. To counter the intake of water, Snowy Hydro is releasing water from Jindabyne Dam.
In a statement released by Snowy Hydro prior to the water release, it said high inflows to the Snowy Scheme, including the Jindabyne catchment, have been experienced since November 2021 and are continuing due to the spring snowmelt and wetter than usual weather conditions.
Based on operational forecasts, if left unmitigated, Lake Jindabyne would reach full supply level (100%) and commence spilling. To avoid uncontrolled spill, Snowy Hydro has reached agreement with NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE Water) to make pre-releases into the Snowy River below Jindabyne Dam from 1am Tuesday 4 October 2022.
Pre-releases will be greater than the environmental releases notified on Snowy Hydro’s website and may change at short notice in response to the weather conditions. Releases could reach flow rates up to 5,000 megalitres per day.
Snowy Hydro will continue to pump water from Jindabyne to Geehi Reservoir to be released through Murray 1 and 2 power stations into the upper Murray River at every opportunity.
Water transfers from the Geehi catchment into Jindabyne may also be necessary at times to manage flood risks in the Geehi, Swampy Plains and Upper Murray Rivers. Further releases to the Snowy River may still be required to avoid uncontrolled releases.
If Lake Jindabyne reaches 100%, it will trigger operation of the spillway gates. Dam safety is paramount and the spillway gates will automatically release water at any time the storage reaches or exceeds 100%.
PLANNED SNOWY ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS CANCELLED
On Wednesday October 5 the NSW Department of Planning and Environment released a statement.
Due to current catchment conditions and forecast rainfall, the NSW Department of Planning and Environment has cancelled planned environmental water releases from Jindabyne Dam that were scheduled to take place from Tuesday 11 through to Friday 14 October 2022.
However, ‘unplanned managed’ water releases are currently being made by Snowy Hydro from Jindabyne Dam due to the spring snowmelt and wetter than usual weather conditions.
Snowy Hydro has indicated that pre-releases will help mitigate ‘unplanned spills’ and the current releases will be greater than the environmental releases notified on Snowy Hydro’s website, which may change at short notice in response to the weather conditions.
During the releases by Snowy Hydro, landholders downstream of the Jindabyne Dam are advised to take all necessary precautions with stock, fencing and property in proximity to the river. As the releases flows through the system, people should refrain from entering or crossing swollen waterways.
Snowy Hydro will continue to keep the community informed about management of water in Lake Jindabyne through its website and social media channels.
More information can be found at - www.industry.nsw.gov.au/water/basins-catchments/snowy-river/initiative/increased-flows
To follow weather updates including potential flood alerts visit the
For more information about releases into the Snowy River visit:
NSW Department of Planning and Environment here
Lake Jindabyne water levels expected to remain high for remainder of 2022 at least.
At a recent September presentation held in Jindabyne by Snowy Hydro, they advised that Lake Jindabyne will remain at high levels.
A combination of the forecast La Nina event declared by the Bureau of Meteorology, the vast snow melt still to come from a big snow season and the existing water levels in most lake and catchment areas around the region will see the lake remain high, and potentially reach 100% at some stage.
Snowy Hydro provided an overview of the Snowy Scheme and the company’s hydro operations, noting that it does not own water in the Scheme - it can only collect, store, divert and release it. Snowy Hydro has a legal obligation under the Snowy Water Licence to make releases from Jindabyne Dam into the Snowy River within tight compliance bounds, as directed by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE).
Under the current legislation Snowy Hydro cannot release more from the dam unless by agreement.
Snowy Hydro also briefed the community on management of Lake Jindabyne, the inflow situation over the last 12 months, dam storage levels downstream of the Snowy Scheme, spring rainfall outlook, and projected Lake Jindabyne levels.
The key points are below:
- NSW has been in a La Nina weather pattern for several years and inflows into Lake Jindabyne have remained persistently high since November 2021.
- Snowy Hydro has been operating Jindabyne pumps as much as possible to move water away from the storage.
- Water in Lake Jindabyne cannot be moved to Lake Eucumbene so we have been maximising diversions away from the storage where possible.
- The only other path for water to be released is through Jindabyne Pumping Station to the Murray River via Murray 1 and 2 Power Stations. It has been a very wet year and storages on the Murray River are full or close to it.
- The climate outlook indicates wet conditions are likely to persist for the rest of 2022 and possibly into the early part of 2023.
- We are working with DPE to balance the impacts to foreshore and downstream land owners/users with impacts to environmental interests and water users in the Murray Darling Basin.
- We are also working closely with other key stakeholders including Snowy Monaro Regional Council, which manages the Lake Jindabyne foreshore.
- It is likely that Lake Jindabyne will fill and spill again this year as a result of the conditions and we will continue to operate the dam safely within the conditions of our water licence and operating rules.
- Dam safety is paramount and the spillway gates will automatically release water at any time the storage reaches or exceeds 100%.
Snowy Hydro will continue to keep the community informed about management of water in Lake Jindabyne through its website and social media channels, and will provide further community updates in the future.
The Bureau of Meteorology recently declared a La Niña event is underway in the Pacific Ocean and communities in eastern Australia should be prepared for above-average rainfall over spring and early summer. Bureau of Meteorology head of long-range forecasts, Dr Andrew Watkins, said the Bureau's three-month climate outlook shows a high chance of above average rainfall for most of the eastern half of the Australian mainland and eastern Tasmania.