Holidaymakers are being encouraged to be mindful of increasing river levels downstream of Goulburn Weir.
Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) will be increasing releases from Goulburn Weir initially from 1,000 ML per day to 1,500 ML per day on Monday 1 April and then gradually each day up to a peak of 3,000 ML per day by Wednesday 3 April.
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.
GMW Manager Water Resources Dr Mark Bailey said people spending time 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.”
Inter-valley trade allows water allocations to be transferred between different systems. Water is subsequently transferred between systems to ensure allocations are met.
The water released from Goulburn Weir will take approximately five days to reach the Murray River.
“We expect the river levels to start increasing at Shepparton on Wednesday 3 April, depending on weather conditions,” Dr Bailey said.
“It will then reach McCoy’s Bridge near Kotupna around Friday 5 April.”
Releases from Goulburn Weir will start to fall again from Saturday 6 April.
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 GMW website: www.gmwater.com.au/managing-storages