$50,000 for River Study

May 29, 2001 Tumut & Adelong Times

Summer flow options

The State Government will provide $50,000 for a study to investigate options to provide relief for the Tumut River from high summer flows.

Minister for Land and Water Conservation, Richard Amery announced the funding following a meeting with members of the Tumut River Land owners Association at Batlow last week.

"In light of community concerns over pressures on the Tumut River system, such as erosion of land adjoining parts of the river, I am pleased to be able to confirm this study will proceed shortly," Mr Amery said.

"One of the options which has previously been discussed is a mid river storage, but this scoping study will cast a wide net, looking at every option available.

"Each of the options canvassed by the study will be assessed in terms of economic, environmental and social out comes.

"Plausible options will also take into account such things as the impact on the annual flow regime in the Tumut River, hydroelectric power generation implications, flood mitigation considerations and implications for extractive water use."

The funding announcement follows intensive lobbying effort by the TRLA and fishing groups over several years and more recently Tumut Council.

"In investigating options for alleviating the problems in the Tumut River, there could be beneficial spin-offs," Mr Amery said.

"These could include more effective delivery of environmental flows in the Murrumbidgee River and alleviation of channel constrictions for extractive users in the Tumut River over summer."

The Murrumbidgee Water Management Fund Assessment and Review Group have agreed to support the strategy.