Rapidly rising river levels prevented Goulburn-Murray Water staff from removing all the bars at Loch Garry north of Shepparton at the weekend.
Loch Garry offers protection to landholders along the lower Goulburn River (downstream of Shepparton) from minor to moderate flooding.
G-MW is legally obligated to pull bars on the Loch Garry regulating structure, which is about 20km north of Shepparton off the Shepparton-Barmah Rd, when the Goulburn River reaches 10.36m at Shepparton.
This level is above the minor flood level of 9.5m and below the moderate flood level of 10.7m.
Twenty-four hours after the Shepparton gauge exceeds 10.36m G-MW removes 25 bars for every 31mm rise.
G-MW notifies all landholders in the Loch Garry Flood Protection Area that the bars will be removed.
Once the river has reached 10.96m all 480 bars would usually have been removed 24 hours after that height was reached.
G-MW emergency controller Peter Clydesdale said the water authority’s staff began removing bars at Loch Garry at noon on Sunday, October 16.
“This was 24 hours after the Goulburn River reached 10.36m at the Shepparton gauge, in line with the Loch Garry Flood Protection Operating Rules,” Mr Clydesdale said.
“At this stage, the loch water level was quickly rising. Staff were able to remove approximately half of the bars at the loch before rising water levels meant it was physically impossible and unsafe for them to continue.
“Because of the challenging conditions, only three of the extracted bars were placed on top of the structure. Further bars that were extracted were let go and washed away.”
He said G-MW was continuing to monitor and manage the situation at Loch Garry.
The surrounding community has also expressed concern about breaches of key channel infrastructure.
“(We are) monitoring channels in the G-MW region during this flood event for structural issues,” Mr Clydesdale said.
“Water is overtopping some channels in the network due to overland river or stream flood, and water is running its natural course and crossing over or underneath channels.”
For more information on the removal of the bars at Loch Garry, phone 1800 013 357.