Yola Cox, Tooma, Corryong Courier

Nestled in the picturesque Tooma Valley, the Mannus Creek and its surrounding environment have long been a lifeline for the region’s farms, families and wildlife.

However, a series of catastrophic decisions spanning decades have turned this once-thriving ecosystem into a disaster zone.

The Mannus Dam was licensed in the 1980s to Ellis Williams. While the licence suggested the dam would support pisciculture, this promise was never realised. Instead, Williams constructed a power-generating plant, using the dam to sell electricity to the grid.

The dam’s operation quickly became a source of tension for downstream farmers.

Williams controlled the dam’s release valve with little regard for the impact, flooding the creek at unpredictable intervals.

These erratic water flows destroyed fences, drowned livestock, washed away feed, obliterated bridges and made stock crossings treacherous or impossible.

After Williams’ passing, Tumbarumba Council purchased the dam, envisioning it as a multipurpose resource for the community. It was meant to serve as a backup water supply for the town; a recreational site for boating, fishing, and swimming; a fire management resource; and even an industrial water source for the Hyne Timber Mill.

Yet, the council failed to address the critical needs of downstream users who relied on a steady and consistent flow of water through their farms.

The fourth disaster struck in the form of a catastrophic spillway collapse in 2010, triggered by a sudden cloudburst upstream. Within six hours, the dam emptied its contents, wreaking havoc on the valley below. Ancient river red gums were uprooted, farms were dest royed and roads and bridges were washed away, cutting off Tooma’s residents for weeks.

The environmental destruction was immense, compounded by debris from dead poplars and willows abandoned on the banks.

In the aftermath, disaster funds were allocated to rebuild the dam, now rebranded as a lake. But instead of a solution, this brought new problems.

Persistent blooms of toxic blue-green algae have plagued the waterway, placing the dam and creek under frequent Red Alert. These blooms have rendered the water unsafe for recreation, fishing, firefighting and even as a backup water supply for Tumbarumba.

Worse still, the health of residents has suffered severely.

Families downstream are battling illnesses linked to algae exposure including chronic inflammatory conditions and neurological disorders. Many have been forced to abandon their homes, leaving behind the land their families farmed for generations.

This string of disasters has devastated Tooma’s community, its farms and its wildlife.

The endangered Macquarie Perch, once a resident of Mannus Creek, struggles to survive. Platypuses, fish and other aquatic life are suffocating in the toxic waters.

It’s time for action. The solution is clear – return Mannus Creek to its natural state.

Restoring the creek would allow wetlands to form, enabling nature to heal itself. Families could return to their homes, farms could thrive again and wildlife could recover. This would mark the end of an era of mismanagement and the beginning of a sustainable future for Tooma.

The story of Mannus Dam is a cautionary tale about prioritising short term goals over long term environmental and social health. It’s time for the authorities to acknowledge their mistakes and take bold steps to restore the balance. Only then can Tooma begin to recover from decades of harm.

To the people of Tooma, your fight for a healthy and sustainable future is one worth amplifying.

Your voices deserve to be heard. 

Yola Cox, Tooma

This article appeared in the Corryong Courier, 12 December 2024.