By Dominique Tassell
Leslie Dam hit 70 per cent overnight, with locals crossing their fingers we’ll see 80 per cent soon.
The dam is currently sitting at 70.2 per cent.
This newspaper has been on dam watch recently, reporting last week that the dam was at just over 60 per cent early in the week.
In our prior edition, the dam levels had risen to just under 60 per cent, with the levels jumping by almost a full per cent from 8 to 9 November.
Leslie Dam, a major source of drinking water to Warwick, Allora and Yangan, reached 50 per cent capacity earlier this year in July.
Connolly Dam, which also supplies Warwick, is 100 per cent full. As is Stanthorpe’s sole urban water supply, Storm King Dam.
Storm King Dam reached full capacity for the first time in years in late March 2021.
Glenlyon Dam spilled over earlier this week, with locals crossing their fingers we’ll see all the dams full soon.
This means that every dam upstream of Goondiwindi, bar Leslie Dam, is full.
In Wallangarra, recent rainfall has restored the water level in both the Beehive Dam and The Soak to full capacity.
Current storage in both these dams has sufficient water to supply water to Wallangarra and part of Jennings for over 18 months.
Water is currently sourced from the Beehive Dam.
Southern Downs Regional Council has stated that work associated with sourcing emergency water supply for Wallangarra is now complete and can be brought online as required.
Council reports that investigation to source supplementary water as backup water for future use is ongoing.
Council is reportedly still in discussion with Toowoomba Regional Council and Seqwater to supply water to Warwick via a new pipeline – a project led by the Queensland government.
The project was mentioned at a recent town planning meeting in Killarney, with locals wondering whether it was possible to build another pipeline to Killarney from Warwick.
Council also reports that investigation work continues to identify additional bore sites for supplementary emergency water for Warwick.
Concerns were also raised at the Killarney meeting over this, with some stating that while bores are an option, using them in a large capacity may take water away from farmers and require too much treatment to be feasible.
Locals have raised concerns over how the Council plans to preserve all the water the region is currently receiving, with concerns that they are taking it for granted that we now have water after such an intense drought.
