Canal upgrade near completion

A $1.9 million upgrade of the Victorian Stuart Murray Canal aimed at ensuring ongoing water reliability for the region’s irrigators is almost complete.

The works are part of Goulburn-Murray Water’s (GMW) maintenance program and include the replacement of a hundred-year-old drainage subway, upgrade of the canal offtake, the decommissioning of the vertical drive gates and safety maintenance for ten road bridge crossings.

GMW Manager, Dams Operations, Scott Wikman said the works were scheduled during the winter shutdown so they would not impact the region’s irrigators.

“These works ensure GMW’s ability to supply water to the Central Goulburn irrigation area and send water to Waranga Basin for customers from Rochester to Pyramid Hill,” Mr Wikman said.

“Completing the works will mean GMW has to dewater the Stuart Murray Canal. To ensure we capture as much water as possible for the next irrigation season we plan to lower Lake Nagambie by up to 1m to increase our water harvest capacity.”

GMW is working with Fisheries Victoria and the Goulburn-Broken Catchment Management Authority to minimise the impact of the lowering on native animals.

GMW has also informed GV Water to ensure no impact occurs to urban water supply.