Pop-up Myponga waterfall, as reservoir gates open

Water is now flowing from the release gates at Myponga Reservoir for the second time in five years, with a wet and wintry August delivering a surge of natural inflows to the Fleurieu storage.

Since the start of this month, almost three billion litres of water has flowed into the reservoir to lift its capacity to around 98 per cent – prompting one of Myponga’s four-metre-high gates to be opened, to safely facilitate a controlled flow of water down Myponga Creek.

SA Water’s Senior Manager of Media, Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Joshua Zugajev said the release is an important measure in safely managing water levels in the reservoir.

“Dam walls, gates and spillways are designed to manage water in a controlled manner, and today’s release is an example of the Myponga dam wall doing exactly what it was designed and built for,” Joshua said.

“Myponga has three gates that can be controlled to release water from the reservoir based on its capacity, which help to make space for anticipated inflows following recent and current rainfall.

“We work closely with the Bureau of Meteorology to understand expected rainfall and its impact on reservoir levels, enabling our local teams to plan ahead and balance capacity with what’s likely to flow in.

“The first few weeks of August alone have delivered more than half of winter’s inflows to Myponga Reservoir, raising the water level by around 10 per cent during this time.

“At the moment, we expect to keep the gate open for several days this week.

“If you missed seeing Myponga’s water release event last year when the reservoir reached 98 per cent, you can safely watch the cascading water at the lookout on Reservoir Road, which provides views of the dam wall and across the wider reservoir reserve.

“For those looking to explore the Myponga Reservoir Reserve for recreational access, you can still enjoy the range of fishing, kayaking, walking and picnicking activities on offer.”

Constructed in 1962 with a capacity of around 26 billion litres, water from Myponga Reservoir is filtered and disinfected at the nearby treatment plant, before it’s supplied to customers across the Fleurieu Peninsula.

SA Water’s metropolitan reservoirs are currently sitting at a total capacity of 68 per cent, storing a combined 134 billion litres of water.

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