AUSTRALIA'S key water storages are full to overflowing for the first time in 16 years.
River officials on the weekend declared the Murray Darling Basin storages 100 per cent full.Storage levels increased by 108 gigalitres in the past week and is now 8555 GL, 100 per cent of capacity.
The last time it reached this level was October 1996.
Active storage has reached 100 per cent despite Lake Victoria, Hume and Dartmouth dams being slightly below full supply.
This is all because of the high surcharge level in Menindee Lakes, which are more than 110 per cent full, with the addition of extra storages.
Storage levels at Dartmouth Dam increased by 35 GL to 3687 GL (96 per cent capacity).
At Hume Reservoir, inflows averaged about 16,000 ML/day and have remained fairly steady in recent days.
Release from Hume has been reduced in order to steer the storage level towards full supply.
The rain outlook is relatively dry for catchments upstream of Hume, however if further rain is forecast over the coming weeks, the release could again be increased to create "extra airspace'' ahead of any rise in inflows that may result.
Storage in Hume Reservoir is 2934 GL (98 per cent capacity), an increase of 23 GL.
I commented:-
We continue to read in the mainstream media of the "ailing Murray Darling Basin" and measures to "save our rivers". Will the various commentators now acknowledge that in terms of water availability the MDB has never been in better shape. As the Mayor of Hay said recently "the MDB Plan is a solution looking for a problem!"
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