WATER GRID UPDATE
Dam levels and releases
The supply capacity of South East Queensland’s top three dams remains at 100 per cent, with Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine Dam continuing with controlled releases.
With all five gates at Wivenhoe Dam now opened for the first time since 1999, the release volume decreased overnight from 130,000 to 98,000 megalitres of water per day. It is expected that controlled releases from Wivenhoe will continue until next Monday.
Somerset continues to release an estimated 90,000 megalitres per day of water into Wivenhoe Dam, with five gates currently open. Releases from Somerset Dam are expected to continue until Friday.
North Pine Dam is releasing approximately 13,000 megalitres per day of water through four gates, and is expected to cease releases by tomorrow.
In addition, Hinze Dam gates opened yesterday morning, with approximately 1,100 megalitres of water per day being released.
Key Sunshine Coast dams continue to spill.
Leslie Harrison Dam gates closed yesterday.
Water Grid Manager CEO Barry Dennien said that all storages within the Water Grid have flood mitigation plans in place to best manage dam levels.
“We have been carefully monitoring rainfall, stream flow and levels, to ensure appropriate and controlled releases that minimise flood impacts downstream,” said Mr Dennien.
Water Grid urges community to take care if visiting Wivenhoe Dam
With all gates at Wivenhoe Dam opened for the first time since 1999, the Water Grid is urging the community to take care and show patience if visiting the dam over the next week.
More than 5000 people visited Wivenhoe last Sunday to experience the water releases and these numbers are expected to increase this week.
Water Grid CEO Barry Dennien said visitors to Wivenhoe over the next week need to take care and show patience, and should expect delays due to the number of people and vehicles.
Parking is restricted to designated areas, due to the amount of recent rainfall. The grass in the recreation areas at Wivenhoe is sodden, and vehicles will become bogged if they are driven off the formed road onto the grassed areas.
In the interests of public safety the Water Grid has arranged for traffic controllers to be on site at Wivenhoe Dam. It is important that all members of the public fully comply with the directions of the traffic controllers. Vehicles are not permitted to stop while travelling over the dam wall, which forms part of the Brisbane Valley Highway.
In addition a number of Water Grid recreation sites and activities have been temporarily closed down because of the large inflows currently being experienced across the region.
Billies Bay (Hays Landing), Hamon Cove, Logan’s Inlet and Captain Logan’s Camp at Lake Wivenhoe are all currently closed due to rising dam levels.
Lake Somerset has been closed to all recreational boating. Baroon Pocket on the Sunshine Coast has also been closed to all recreation activities until further notice.