Andrew Reynolds, Executive Director of River Management, Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA), Media Release, 10 November 2022
The Murray–Darling Basin Authority will increase the release of water from Hume Dam tomorrow (Friday) morning ahead of potentially heavy rainfall from Sunday 13 November as forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology.
Releases from Hume Dam will increase from 85 gigalitres (GL) per day to 95 GL per day.
Right now, our priority is to generate more airspace in Hume Dam ahead of this next rain event, while minimising the impact of increased releases on Murray River communities downstream of the dam. It is a delicate balancing act.
Creating airspace helps us to capture some of the rainfall in the dam and reduce the full impact of the floods on communities downstream.
For the latest river height information and flood alerts please visit the Bureau of Meteorology website.
As of midday today Hume Dam is 96% full, with 112 GL of airspace.
Since May 2022, the MDBA has released 4,780 GL from Hume Dam to mitigate flooding in the Murray River – this is the equivalent of 1.6 times the volume of Hume Dam.
River operators continue to work around the clock to assess new inflow and weather information and manage releases accordingly. This includes close collaboration with WaterNSW and the Bureau of Meteorology to get the most up-to-date rainfall and inflow forecasts.
The MDBA’s priority is keeping the dam safe, capturing and storing water, and where we can, mitigating floods.
If you live, work or holiday on a floodplain, you need to be prepared for floods.
- Develop your own flood emergency plan www.ses.nsw.gov.au www.ses.vic.gov.au/get-ready
- Sign up for WaterNSW’s Early Warning Network to get alerts of Hume Dam releases www.waternsw.com.au/supply/ewn
- Check the Bureau of Meteorology website to receive latest information including warnings, river conditions and rainfall in your area www.bom.gov.au/australia/warnings www.bom.gov.au/australia/flood
- Stay informed: check weather warnings, listen to emergency broadcasters, talk with your neighbours.
- Have an emergency kit – a ‘survival’ kit with 3 days’ supply.
- The SES looks after the impact of flooding on you.
- In New South Wales sign up to the SES distribution list for flood bulletins: shz1publicinformation@ses.nsw.gov.au
- In Victoria, download the Vic Emergency App, and set your flood watch zone: emergency.vic.gov.au/prepare
Background
Hume Dam’s primary purpose is water security – it plays a crucial role in managing flows and securing water along the Murray River, including to Adelaide.
The MDBA needs to fill Hume Dam before irrigation demands start to exceed inflows, and the level starts to drop. This ensures water allocations are maximised.
The MDBA operates the Hume Dam in accordance with the rules set by state governments.
When the dam fills, all flood waters will pass through the dam and head downstream along with the water entering from the tributaries such as the Kiewa River.
For more information about how dams are managed to reduce the impact of flooding visit: How are dams being managed to reduce the impact of flooding?
Related story: Hume Dam releases increased to manage airspace: MDBA
