Water to be drained from Lake Eildon dam after community concern

Water will be drained from Lake Eildon dam after 97.2 per cent amid fears the flood season will be worse than last year.

General manager of water storage services at Goulburn-Murray Valley Water, Martina Cusack, says 12,000 megalitres will be released daily over the next few months to bring water levels down to 94 per cent.

“It’s a challenge … managing inflows into the dam and the releases coming out of the dam,” she told Heidi Murphy, filling in for Neil Mitchell.

Press PLAY to hear the confirmation the Lake Eildon dam water levels will be reduced

Thornton farmer Rowan Kennedy called to express concern at the current water level saying the levels should be closer to 88 per cent.

He says it’s at the same level it was during the October floods which devastated parts of Victoria.

“We’re very early in the season but we’ve arrived at a very high capacity of the lake,” he told Heidi Murphy.

Press PLAY to hear his thoughts on the current water level

Alexandra local, Alex, says having the lake sit at 93 per cent at the beginning of the year made no sense.

“When it’s regularly filled 30 per cent in any given year lacks any practical sense and promises to expose the region to flooding once again,” he said.

Image: iStock.