The Lachlan and Abercrombie rivers meet at Grabine, which forms the backwaters of Wyangala Dam, which could run dry this summer.

Big carp loll in the muddy shallows, making an easy meal for pelicans on the sandy banks, which rise higher every day as the precious water recedes.

NSW Water has halved the 500 megalitre releases a day from the storage which holds 2.5 times the volume of Sydney Harbour, but is at 5.3 per cent of capacity.

Downstream towns are sinking bores, test drilling for more bore sites and building a pipeline to new water sources.

Irrigators are pleading with the NSW Government to stop charging for water they have not received in years and the Wiradjuri Aboriginal elders group wants mining at the giant Cadia Hill mine at Orange and Lake Cowal mine near West Wyalong to stop.

For five years Jason Kirk has managed Grabine Lakeside Park, 83km north-west of Crookwell, and watched the water levels drop.

He said silver and yellow perch, Murray cod, catfish and carp were easier targets for anglers.

''I think they've got them cornered.

''You won't find a trout in there. This year we had 1000 people enter our fishing tournament and only one trout was caught.''

Where 200 water ski boats regularly sped through the water, Paterson's curse sways in the breeze.

Grabine's 10 full-time staff has been reduced to two.

Mr Kirk expects the park to fill with people on Friday and Saturday when 2008 Australian of the Year Lee Kernaghan stars in the Grabine Music Muster. ''In true country fashion, when things turn to shit you put on a party,'' Mr Kirk said.

NSW Office of Water says the level of restricted flows in the Lachlan River is unprecedented since Wyangala Dam was built in 1935.

Before then the Lachlan used to dry up into a chain of ponds and a deep well was sunk near the river at Cowra, 40km downstream.

Cowra's mayor Bill West said the well was being cleaned out to use again should the river stop flowing.

The NSW Government and Cowra Shire were sharing the $4.5 million cost of building a pipeline to the Central Tablelands Water supply.

Wiradjuri elder Neville Williams said Cadia Mine used 20ML a day processing ore. ''Water is for drinking and growing food is essential. You can't drink or eat gold.'' A spokeswoman for Cadia mine said 80 per cent of the water was recycled.