Plans to turn Lake Albert into a dam to help prevent flooding in East Wagga have been placed on public exhibition. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Lake Albert could soon be used as a miniature dam to help mitigate flooding in East Wagga.
A study conducted by Wagga Wagga City Council (WWCC) assesses in detail the feasibility of diverting major flood flows from Stringybark and Crooked creeks into Lake Albert and using Lake Albert to provide additional flood mitigation to the broader area, referred to as the ‘Lake Albert Enhanced Flow Scheme’.
WWCC’s director of infrastructure services Warren Faulkner said council had been assessing the lake’s suitability for a number of years and the final study would now be placed on public exhibition.
“The Lake Albert flood mitigation … council has been undertaking a feasibility and options study there since 2022, and the reports have now been finalised,” he said.
“The study looks at three different areas of the lake to increase temporary capacity in it, to hold flood waters up, to have a benefit to downstream users in East Wagga.
“At this stage, it’s just the options that have been identified to give that benefit downstream, and the council resolved to put the report on public exhibition for a period of 28 days from 29 October until the 26th of November.
“We certainly encourage the community and residents to pick that up and have a read of it and provide us with any feedback on the changes we’re making with the mitigation works to improve flood sustainability.”
Mr Faulkner said the use of the lake would help reduce overflow to East Wagga by holding up water that would normally affect the area. The water would then be released slowly to prevent severe flooding.
“What we’re looking at here is for it to become fundamentally a large detention basin that can hold that water up to then release it slowly, so that starts to act a little bit like a flood mitigation vehicle,” he said.
“Obviously, in doing that, there are some areas, like the boat club, that are low-lying areas that will be affected.
“Levies will have to be installed around those sorts of areas to allow that to happen, but the owners of these areas aren’t unaware of that.
“We have consulted with those lower lying areas before we put this out on exhibition, but it’s for the rest of the community to be able to give us their thoughts.”
A price tag is yet to be attached to the project, however Mr Faulkner said once the proposal for the project has been finalised and adopted, it will allow council to seek funding.
To view the plans, visit the WWCC website here.
