Menindee Lakes survey to update water storage capacity

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) and the NSW Government are launching a major survey of the Menindee Lakes system to establish a new baseline for water storage and capacity. This initiative updates the last comprehensive measurement taken in 2003, accounting for changes caused by flooding, erosion, and sediment movement over the past two decades.

Contracted to SA Water, the fieldwork will use specialist equipment to map lakebed shape and depth, examine water movement, and assess sediment distribution. The survey will also include ‘inactive or dead storage,’ which refers to water stored below lake outlets that cannot be released downstream.

The staged program will begin in early September at Lake Pamamaroo, with work expected to last approximately two weeks before moving to Lakes Wetherell, Menindee, and Cawndilla, as well as the Weir 32 weir pool. Authorities stated that the survey will not impact lake access or normal operations. The resulting data is intended to inform the ongoing Menindee Review, which is evaluating the future operation and management of the lakes.