Blowering Dam water levels have fallen by nearly 70 per cent, to 31 per cent capacity. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon.
Rain has drenched much of NSW, but here in the Riverina conditions are not so good. Our dams are drying up.
Blowering Dam, which usually holds the equivalent of three times Sydney Harbour, is now down to 31 per cent of its maximum capacity.
Water levels are so low, unseen hazards like tree stumps are appearing, prompting recreational water users to travel further into the mountains to access the smaller, but fuller, Talbingo Dam.
Burrinjuck Dam, which provides water for 660,000 hectares of agriculture across the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area around Griffith and Leeton, is down to 43 per cent and falling, according to daily measurements by WaterNSW.
The mighty Hume Dam near Albury is languishing at 21 per cent.
Hailed as a triumph of engineering when it was opened in 1936, the Hume dam plays a critical role in capturing rainfall from the Australian Alps to supply stock and household needs for three states along the Murray River. The current water level is the Hume Dam’s lowest in five years, when it dropped to 15.6 per cent in 2020.
Landscape previously underwater has been revealed by the falling water levels at Blowering Dam. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon.
The downward trend of Riverina dams is in stark contrast to others in the state.
All of Sydney’s 11 major dams managed by WaterNSW are currently at least 80 per cent full. Warragamba Dam is nearing capacity at 96.8 per cent, while Tallowa Dam on the Shoalhaven has exceeded capacity at 107.7 per cent.
WaterNSW daily readings show that even the closest dam to us, the smaller Brogo Dam, in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range near Bega, is 102 per cent full.
The disparity is mainly due to rainfall falling everywhere else but here, and water allocations.
Local dam water levels haven’t been this low since the killer bushfires of 2019-2020; a catastrophic event that saw nearly 13 million hectares burned in NSW and the ACT, 1.3 billion animals (mostly native) killed, and damage to property totalling $1.9 billion.
“These dams were last at this level in early-to-mid 2020, but were lower in 2019 at the height of the drought,” Water NSW said in a statement.
“Both Blowering and Burrinjuck dam levels are largely determined by inflows and the volume of water released downstream to meet water orders for customers’ requirements along with specific water sharing plan requirements.
“WaterNSW operates the state’s major supply dams in strict accordance with government rules and associated protocols to maximise water security,” the state-owned corporation said.
The big conversation is how the Riverina has missed out on decent rain while so many other areas around the country are waterlogged.
On the Anzac Day long weekend, a deep low pressure system over the NSW coast resulted in Moparrabah in the Hunter region receiving 112 mm in 24 hours – almost twice the average for April.
Even more rain fell in South East Queensland with 240 mm of rain cancelling some Anzac Day services. This is after ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred caused an estimated $2.57 billion damage to Queensland and NSW when it hit in March. Residents there have had a gutful of rain.
Lack of rain has turned the Riverina into a sepia-toned landscape. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon
Back in the Riverina, unanswered prayers have seen farmers resorting to dry sowing, with the landscape drained of green and left with a sepia-toned dry terrain that has stock searching for food amid the dusty stubble. This sight confirms what farmers have known for weeks; the desperately needed rain didn’t fall in time and it could spell serious trouble in coming months.
Principal consultant for Riverina Agri Michael Ryan works with regional farmers to maximise yields and said the lack of rain is a major concern for clients across the region.
“The situation is, if it’s not being declared a drought, people are preparing for it,” Mr Ryan said.
“Farmers expected the low allocation of irrigation water from the state government, and they planned their winter crops when we had rain at the start of the year.
“But with this dry weather they are seeing their margins down, yet their yields have remained stable at this stage.”
The sting for farmers is in the hip pocket.
“For farmers, it’s now going to be difficult to cover their basic costs,” Mr Ryan said.
The Riverina Murray region is the jewel in the state’s agricultural crown. Made up of Leeton Shire, Lockhart Shire, Murray River Council, Narrandera Shire, Snowy Valley Shire, Temora Shire and Wagga Wagga City, the combined output from an area that makes up 14 per cent of the state is the largest regional contribution to agriculture in NSW. The Riverina Murray region supplies 12.7 per cent of all agricultural output, translating into a whopping $1.4 billion.
Mr Ryan consults to farmers covering a broad range of crops including rice, cotton, wine grapes, almonds, livestock and pastoral crops.
“It’s a moving target. The changes in water allocation are managed by the state government, but the federal government’s buyback scheme is the elephant in the room,” he said
