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Water Management

The Snowy River and the Snowy Mountains Scheme

The NSW Office of Water is responsible for the regulation of water release arrangements for the Snowy River from the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

The Snowy is one of the largest snowmelt rivers in Australia. It flows from the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales to the sea at Marlo in Victoria. The Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme diverts water for irrigation to the Murrumbidgee and Murray rivers. The diversion disrupted the flow patterns of the Snowy, leading to the Snowy Water Inquiry of 1998.

The Snowy Water Inquiry identified the need for increased flows to be returned to the Snowy and other rivers affected by the scheme. The inquiry also recommended that increased flows should not adversely affect water supplies to irrigators.

Following the inquiry outcomes, the Australian, New South Wales and Victorian Governments reached a legal agreement on the Snowy to ensure its flow recovery and environmental water entitlements.

Under this new cooperative approach, programs including Water for Rivers, were established for flow recovery. The NSW Office of Water manages a flow response monitoring and modelling program to assess the benefits of environmental flow releases.

The Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme is operated and maintained by Snowy Hydro Limited (SHL), which is jointly owned by the New South Wales, Victorian and Australian Governments. Snowy Hydro Limited was created following the corporatisation of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Authority.

The Water Administration Ministerial Corporation, represented by the NSW Office of Water, issues SHL an operating licence under the Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Act 1997. The Snowy Water Licence defines SHL's water access rights and obligations to achieve a balance between the competing demands on water of hydro-electricity generation and the environment.

Find out more about the Snowy River and the Snowy Mountains Scheme at the following links:

• The Snowy Flow Response Monitoring and Modelling program assesses changes in river conditions caused by the increased flows
• The Snowy Hydro Water Licence and the Year Five Review details the corporate licence and review process
• Water for Rivers, a water efficiency program is supporting increased flows to the Snowy
• The Snowy Scientific Committee advises the NSW Government on the release of environmental flows from the Snowy Hydro Scheme
• The Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Act led to the creation of Snowy Hydro Limited
• The intergovernmental deed on the outcomes of the Snowy Inquiry – Snowy Water Inquiry Outcomes Implementation Deed 2002 (PDF 276 KB)
• Check the daily environmental water releases to the Snowy on the Snowy Hydro Limited website.