5,000 megalitres released from Lake Jindabyne

Snowy Hydro has been the custodian of the water that flows through their complex network of dams, tunnels, and aqueducts for almost 70 years. The scheme diverts the headwaters of the Snowy, Eucumbene and Murrumbidgee Rivers westward through the Great Dividing Range, releasing water into the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers and supporting agriculture in NSW, Victoria, and South Australia. Snowy Hydro’s water operations are governed by the Snowy Water Licence. Issued by the NSW Government, it obliges the company to target water releases to the River Murray and Murrumbidgee River catchments. It also includes target water releases from Jindabyne Dam into the Snowy River for environmental purposes (Snowy River Increased Flows); and facilitates additional natural flows to nominated rivers for environmental purposes (Snowy Montane Rivers Increased Flows). “Snowy Hydro does not own any water in the Snowy Scheme, or make decisions about release locations and volumes,” a Snowy Hydro spokesperson said. “We are custodians of the water and managing water resources responsibly in a changing climate is integral to the success of Snowy Hydro. “We operate the scheme to first meet our water release obligations, and then to maximise electricity market opportunities.” The Snowy Water Licence sets the strong rules Snowy must follow and seeks to strike a balance between its critical role underpinning the reliability of the energy network, maintaining river health, and meeting the needs of downstream water users. “While we have flexibility in releasing water from the scheme, we must deliver against release targets prescribed in the water licence. These include environmental release targets from Jindabyne Dam,” the spokesperson said. As the warmer months approach snow melt is a major source of inflow for Lake Jindabyne and after a successful season with a snow depth of up to two metres recorded the spokesperson said the dam currently sits at 80 per cent capacity. The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water issued a rising river alert for the Snowy River between Jindabyne Dam and Dalgety in southern NSW for Wednesday, 15 October. The alert stated the river will rise due to the last high-flow event in a series of three planned high-flow environmental releases from Jindabyne Dam to the Snowy River during 2025. It was the largest release of 2025 and occurred via the dam spillway. A daily flow volume of 5000 megalitres was released over 24 hours from Jindabyne Dam from midnight (00:00am) on Wednesday, 15 October. The release included a peak flow rate from 8am to 4pm equivalent to 9000 megalitres per day for the eight-hour period. The flow rate dropped to a target of 2500 megalitres per day on Thursday, 16 October. “While snowmelt is a significant contributor to inflows to the Snowy Scheme, the total amount of precipitation is the most important. This year has so far been positive, with manageable inflows to date and an outlook for continued precipitation into summer,” the spokesperson said. “Jindabyne Dam is expected to continue rising gradually for the rest of the year, before falling as we prepare for next winter and spring. Lake levels are currently approaching 80 per cent, however there is still a significant amount of storage capacity. “Snowy Hydro closely monitors and forecasts precipitation, snow depths, and inflows to Jindabyne Dam, and manages water levels by pumping water through the mountains to Geehi Reservoir where it is used to generate renewable energy through the Murray 1 and 2 Power Stations.”

5,000 megalitres released from Lake Jindabyne

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