Goulburn-Murray Water will remove the bars at Loch Garry at Bunbartha when the Goulburn River at Shepparton reaches 10.36m.
This is above minor flood level (9.5m) and below moderate flood Level (10.7m).
Loch Garry is a regulating structure about 20 km north of Shepparton off the Shepparton-Barmah Rd.
It is designed to provide low to medium flood level protection to landholders in the lower Goulburn and G-MW is legally obligated to pull bars when the river reaches 10.36m at Shepparton.
“We begin removing the bars from Loch Garry 24 hours after the Goulburn River Shepparton gauge exceeds 10.36m (34 feet),” G-MW emergency controller Peter Clydesdale said.
“Twenty-five bars are removed for every 31mm rise. If the river continues to rise to 10.96m (36 feet) then all bars would be removed from the loch 24 hours after this height is reached.
“When the river height exceeds 10.36m at the Goulburn River Shepparton gauge, we notify all landholders in the Loch Garry Flood Protection Area that the bars will be removed.
“We ask that people do not visit the structure while it is (in) operation, both for their safety and the safety of our staff.”
For more information on the removal of the bars at Loch Garry, call 1800 013 357.
River heights are available on the Bureau of Meteorology website: www.bom.gov.au