MDBA’s Andrew Kremor said flows in the Murray River would be dependent on the weather and rainfall.
“If we get more wet weather, this will reduce the need for irrigators to order water from the dam and as a result, flows in the river would recede as less water is released into the river,” Dr Kremor said.
“According to the Bureau of Meteorology’s eight-day forecast, 10 to 25mm is expected over most of the upper Murray catchments in the coming week.
“Depending on where the rain falls, wet conditions could also generate unregulated flows from the Kiewa, Ovens and Goulburn rivers, which would end up boosting river heights in the mid-Murray.”
Dr Kremor said the continuing La Niña conditions meant a high degree of uncertainty about flow rates would persist.
“If you are looking for somewhere on the river with a predictable river height, areas immediately upstream of the main weirs are the most reliable, at places such as Yarrawonga, Torrumbarry, Robinvale, Mildura, Wentworth, Renmark and Loxton.
“In the Murray River below the junction with the Murrumbidgee, river heights will reduce over the Easter period as unregulated flows from the Murrumbidgee River recede.
“However, flows in this reach through to the South Australian border will still be higher than usual for this time of year.”
With a range of scenarios possible, everyone is reminded to remain alert to changing flow rates and river conditions, and irrigators are advised to adjust their pumps as necessary as the river height varies.
The MDBA urges everyone to always consider safety when using rivers and to check the MDBA’s website for Murray River levels and weekly reports, and the Bureau of Meteorology’s website for flood warnings and forecasts.
