Watchful: Goulburn Valley residents are hoping there will be no repeat of last October’s floods.
With elevated river levels and continuing wet weather this week, Goulburn Valley residents are worried about a repeat of last October’s floods.
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Rain has fallen across the catchment on most days and showers are forecast for next week.
The Goulburn River’s main storage, Lake Eildon, is close to full at 97 per cent, and rain continues to fall in the catchment above the lake.
Watt Rd between Shepparton and Mooroopna was closed to traffic earlier this week as the Goulburn River was spilling across the road. The Goulburn has been steady at just above nine metres (below minor flood level) for most of this week. Major flood level is about 11m at Shepparton.
The river level is being kept high, partly because of releases from Eildon, at up to 12,000 megalitres a day.
Goulburn-Murray Water has adjusted its release management following criticism from Goulburn catchment farmers worried about flooding.
At Bunbartha, downstream of Shepparton, residents are worried about the high river levels and the continuing rain. A number of houses were extensively damaged by floodwater last October.
Naomi Clark had water right through her Loch Garry Rd house and the family is only now starting on work to renovate the property.
She is worried that levee banks blown out by last October’s floods have not been replaced and it is not clear who is accepting responsibility for repairing them.
Neighbour Matt Price has been lobbying with other residents for the Crown Land levee banks to be replaced but he says it is difficult to find any government authority to accept responsibility.
“The state or federal governments should accept responsibility for repairing them, but if they don’t it may be up to landholders to do it,” he said.
He is currently working on getting permission for local landholders to do the work from the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority.
Meanwhile, G-MW is aiming to reduce the water level in Eildon to 94 per cent by August 1.
Water resources manager Mark Bailey said G-MW would continue to monitor weather and catchment conditions and adjust filling targets and release rates.
“G-MW has reduced releases from 12,000ML per day in response to increased tributary flows,” Dr Bailey said.
“Releases are currently at 11,000ML per day (as of June 27) and are likely to resume at 12,000ML per day in the coming days after these tributaries fall.
“These releases are expected to continue through July. Minor adjustments will be made to accommodate any increased inflows downstream of Eildon and to minimise bank erosion.”
Target filling points are set to protect the reliability of water entitlements, while offering some flood mitigation.
The framework set out under the Victorian Water Act 1989 requires target filling points be set so that Lake Eildon will reach full capacity with inflows that would be expected in 95 years out of 100.
Getting closer: Goulburn River levels at Shepparton on June 29. The level was just below minor flood level, but less than two metres separates minor and major levels.
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