Hume Dam: Farmers fear more flooding

With Hume Dam at 99 per cent capacity downstream farmers are worried they could be exposed to flooding for months. 

Hume Dam being at 99 per cent capacity in January for only the fourth time since the major water storage was expanded in the 1960s has downstream farmers upset at being exposed to flooding for months.

Further rainfall of more than 50 millimetres is forecast in the area this week with the head of the Murray River Action Group declaring property owners below the dam between Albury and Yarrawonga were “sitting here with a gun to our head”.

The last time Hume Dam was at 99 per cent capacity in January was 1994. But MRAG chairman Richard Sargood said the Murray Darling Basin Authority, which manages the dam, had its priorities wrong.

“If they get 50mm over a couple of days they will probably be able to manage it,” he said. “But the big problem is Hume being so full going into autumn.

“Even if it was down to 80 per cent there is going to be flooding risk every day for the whole of winter and most of spring.

“At some stage they are going to have to give some weight to protecting downstream communities.”

Landowners are fearful of a repeat of the recent thunderstorms which dumped 70 millimetres of rain in less than an hour in Albury occurring in the key catchment areas upstream of Hume Dam.

“Even if this event isn’t quite as big as predicted, just the carry over of water going into winter is going to be huge,” Mr Sargood said.

“The catchments are already saturated and any rainfall that comes there will be a significant amount of run-off with not a lot soaking in.”

Flooding concerns are shared by Robert Pearce who has a farm on the Murray River west of Corowa.

“As landowners we have to take all the risks,” he said.

“It’s ridiculous that it is sitting on 99 per cent at this time of the year.

“It’s a shame they won’t create a little bit of extra airspace.

“Their idea is they must try and fill the weir before they think about flood mitigation and by then it’s too late.

“Sooner rather than later they will get a big fall in the hills because it’s that sort of year. “It’s amazing we haven’t had a big flood already.”

In the most recent MDBA update, acting chief executive Andrew Reynolds said the potential for heavy summer rainfall still existed due to the ongoing La Nina weather pattern. “As always we will continue to actively monitor forecasts and work closely with the Bureau of Meteorology for up to date rainfall and inflow forecasts,” he said.

“Conditions are dynamic as summer thunderstorms and rain activity have been boosting inflows.

“But they are difficult to forecast and at the same time potential for hotter and drier weather over irrigation areas could create high demands.”

Mr Sargood said there was also a knock-on negative impact to tourism along the Murray River.

“It’s suffering because of the threat of flooding,” he said.

“People want to move around and camping is a relatively safe Covid activity, but the prospect of flooding precludes a lot of that.”