Loch Garry Flood Protection District

The Loch Garry flood regulator is a structure that provides flood protection for downstream landowners in the Bunbartha/Deep Creek area from minor to moderate flooding.

Built in 1925 at Bunbartha, the regulator is a 48 bay structure which contains 506 drop bars that can be removed or replaced during operation.

There is also 9km of levee that forms part of the Loch Garry Flood Protection District.

Loch Garry Flood Protection District - revised operating rules

Background

 The Loch Garry Reference Committee was formed in January 2023 by Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW), to review the service requirements of the Loch Garry Flood Protection District infrastructure and its operating rules.

As a result, the Committee recommended potential improvements to the operating rules. These revised rules are based on learnings and observations from previous experiences and are outlined below.

Event (above 10.36m but below 11.0m)

When the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) forecasts the river level at the Shepparton Gauging Station 405204 will exceed 10.36m but will not exceed 11.0m the following operating rule will apply:

  1. GMW will send out a notification to the Loch Garry Flood Protection District customers by SMS as soon as practicable after the forecast is available to notify customers that bars will start to be removed 24 hours after the Shepparton gauge reaches 10.36m.
  2. GMW will send out a notification to the Loch Garry Flood Protection District customers by SMS as soon as practicable when the Shepparton gauge reaches 10.36m.
  3. Bars will start to be removed 24 hours after this level has been reached.
  4. The formula for bar removal is that 24 hours after the Shepparton gauge exceeds 10.36 m, 25 bars (based on 140mm bars) are removed for every 31mm rise. If the river continues to rise to 10.96 meters then all bars would be removed from the Loch 24 hours after this height is reached.
  5. The replacement of bars is a reversal of this procedure.

Important:

  • Bars are to be removed progressively across the structure so that the “crest” remains level across the structure.
  • Bar removal and replacement can only occur during daylight hours. Any bars that are scheduled to be removed after sunset and before sunrise the following day will be removed prior to sunset. 

Large event (exceeds 11.0m)

When the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) forecasts the river level at the Shepparton Gauging Station 405204 will exceed 11.0m the following operating rule will apply:

  1. GMW will send out a notification to the Loch Garry Flood Protection District customers by SMS as soon as practicable after the forecast is available to notify customers that all bars will be removed on the day that the Shepparton gauge reaches 10.36m.
  2. GMW will send out a notification to the Loch Garry Flood Protection District customers by SMS as soon as practicable when the Shepparton gauge reaches 10.36m.
  3. On the day that the Shepparton gauge reaches 10.36m, all bars will be removed during daylight hours.
  4. The replacement of bars is the same procedure as for below 11.0m.

Important:

  • If levee banks are breached during an event then GMW will work with the Incident Control Centre (ICC) and GMW Emergency Management Team (EMT) to decide the most appropriate bar replacement strategy.

More information

Shepparton Gauging Station 405204 can be viewed at the Bureau of Meteorology website

  • VIC – Rainfall and River conditions
  • Zoom in to – Victoria
  • Zoom to – Goulburn Broken
  • River conditions
  • Goulburn River Shepparton

River heights are also available on the BoM website.