MENINDEE LAKES HAS A RED ALERT FOR BLUE-GREEN ALGAE.
A Blue-green algal red alert has been given for Menindee Lakes, including Wetherell and Pamamaroo by Water NSW.
People should not eat yabbies or mussels from the lakes and fish from the lakes should be thoroughly cleaned and washed in uncontaminated water before eating, according to WaterNSW.
Contact with blue-green algae can cause skin and eye irritations as well as gastroenteritis.
The effected water can also pose a risk to pets and livestock.
It is advised that livestock be removed from the foreshores and their drinking water checked.
It is suggested people do not drink the water even after boiling and do not have physical contact with effected water.
Regular monitoring by WaterNSW will continue and when the algae dissipates, the alert will be dropped.
MENINDEE LAKES IS EXPECTING 500M TO 800 GIGALITRES IN MAY
Menindee Lakes is being prepared for another large volume of water coming down the Barwon Darling River.
Heavy rainfall in Southern Queensland has led to increased flows into the Barwon Darling River.
The water is coming down from the Border Rivers, Moonie Rivers and the Culgoa.
The flows are expected to reach Menindee in May.
The Menindee Lakes system is presently at 106 per cent storage, and the WaterNSW plans for the lakes to eventually hold 112 per cent to 114 per cent when the water arrives.
Water release from weir 32 is being reduced from 6.7 gigalitres a day (GL/day) to 4 GL/day, and Cawndilla, which is currently 1.8 GL/day, will be increased to 2GL/day.
