With an early Easter this year, water users and visitors to the River Murray are reminded to keep an eye on river flows as rainfall and cooler weather will lower the river height downstream of Hume Dam this holiday period.
MDBA Acting Chief Executive, Andrew Reynolds, said because of recent rain across the Murray catchments, irrigation demand could drop, triggering the MDBA to conserve more water in the Hume Dam.
"Visitors who traditionally flock to the Murray region over Easter will be looking forward to returning after having missed out last year due to the COVD-19 restrictions," Andrew Reynolds said.
"While you might expect rain to increase flows in the river, especially from tributaries such as the Ovens and the Kiewa, these inflows will provide enough water for downstream users which means we will release less water from Hume Dam. As a result, the river is likely to remain at reduced levels for the coming days," Mr Reynolds said.
"The week ahead is forecast to be drier according to the Bureau of Meteorology, however water demand is expected to continue to ease in the lead-up to Easter.
"Hume Dam is in a much healthier state this year at 48% capacity, compared to 16% at the same time last year, but we clearly have a lot of space left to fill.
"We'll take every opportunity we can to increase the volume of water in storage to maximise the amount of water available to water users and communities. Every drop counts."
Irrigators and other water users along the river are reminded to remain alert to changing conditions and adjust their pumps as necessary as the river height varies.
Updates on Murray flows are available in the River Murray Weekly Report.
To check river levels and forecasts visit the MDBA's River Murray data site.
