Goulburn-Murray Water will increase releases from Goulburn Weir initially from 1000 Ml/day to 1500 Ml/day on Monday, April 1 and then gradually each day up to a peak of 3000 Ml/day by Wednesday, April 3.
These releases are required to transfer inter-valley trade water that has been traded from the Goulburn to the Murray system in accordance with trade and river operating rules.
G-MW water resources manager Mark Bailey said people near the Goulburn River from Easter Monday onwards should be aware of the potential changes in river levels.
“The Goulburn River at Murchison will start to rise on Monday afternoon,” he said.
“The releases will be increased incrementally over three days, ensuring the rate of rise remains gradual.
“However, people camping or fishing near the water should prepare for the rising levels by moving any equipment near the waterline back ahead of the increased releases or avoid leaving it unattended for more than a couple of hours.”
The water released from Goulburn Weir will take about five days to reach the Murray River.
“We expect the river levels to start increasing at Shepparton on Wednesday, April 3, depending on weather conditions,” Dr Bailey said.
“It will then reach McCoy’s Bridge near Kotupna around Friday, April 5.”
Releases from Goulburn Weir will start to fall again from Saturday, April 6.
Water levels will remain within the riverbank for the duration of the releases. Levels may rise by up to 1.1 metres at Murchison, and 0.6 metres at Shepparton.
People can find more information about upcoming releases on the G-MW website: https://www.gmwater.com.au/managing-storages