For the past few months, dry conditions and a lack of rain forced Canberra's dams to conserve as much water as they could. But after recent falls across the ACT, they have so much water they have to let some go.
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For the first time October 2019, the sluice gates at Scrivener Dam have opened after Canberra received more than double the average rainfall for March in just three days.
The sluice gates opened up on Thursday and are expected to be releasing water from the dam containing Lake Burley Griffin for at least two weeks.
Scrivener Dam and Lake Burley Griffin manager David Wright said the recent rain had been the best possible news.
"Everyone would agree it's been nice to see the rain and the lake level rise to its full supply over the last few days," Mr Wright said.
"The water is still flowing in from the Murrumbidgee, and as long as that still flows in, the sluice gates will be open for the next few days."
Almost 2500 megalitres of water was released from the dam on Thursday with a further 1600 megalitres released early on Friday morning.
It comes after water levels in Lake Burley Griffin dropped to some of the lowest in years, forcing the closure of the Captain Cook Memorial Jet.
Mr Wright said the water levels in the lake were at least half a metre lower than normal, which presented significant challenges over the summer.
Among them was the influx of pond weeds that emerged in the lake with harvesters being used for more than a week to get rid of it.
"That was about as low as the lake has ever been," he said. "There's a few factors of the lake that make it challenging when it drops low. With a lot of fixed infrastructure, it makes it difficult for commercial boats and jetties."
The Bureau of Meteorology said the Canberra Airport weather station received 72 millimetres so far in March with other parts of the ACT getting more.
Canberra's water catchment dams have also seen water levels increase due to rain, but not as dramatic an increase as Scrivener Dam.
The Cotter River catchment area received 115 millimetres of rain this week, boosting Canberra's dams from 46.5 per cent on Wednesday to 48.5 per cent.
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Icon Water infrastructure services general manager Gerard Brierley said there had been a small boost to water levels, but more was needed to stave off future water restrictions in the ACT.
"The rain has definitely been very welcome for us and any boost to storage is good, and it's also good that it will help those catchment areas affected by the bushfires," Mr Brierley said.
"Our view is that if the long-term conditions remain dry, water restrictions are still an option. I wouldn't want to get relaxed about water usage. We need to see extensive and prolonged rain for our storage to get to 100 per cent capacity."
The deluge of rain recorded in Lake Burley Griffin in recent days has brought Scrivener Dam back to life, but Mr Wright said it also brought with it some unintended consequences.
"With the large rain, we saw a spike in bacteria in the lake and we also saw a spike in blue-green algae," he said.
"We're hoping to turn the Captain Cook jet back on in two weeks after the algae goes away, as we don't want to switch it back on and spray the algae into the air."
The bureau said a shower or two could be on the cards for Saturday, while a 50 per cent of rain was forecast for Sunday.
Andrew Brown
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
