Moondarra Reservoir

Moondarra Reservoir, Gippsland Water's largest catchment area, is the principle water supply system for the Latrobe Valley. In this section, you can find more information about:

• Moondarra water supply
• Moondarra water storage level
• Recreation at Moondarra
• Moondarra fire recovery

Moondarra water supply

Situated on the Tyers River, the Moondarra Reservoir has a capacity of 30,300 megalitres (Ml) and supplies water to Morwell, Traralgon, Churchill, Glengarry, Rosedale, and Tyers. It also supplies major industry in the region. Its capacity is slightly less than half the amount of water consumed annually. The total annual demand on Moondarra is 64,000 Ml. (One megalitre = 1,000,000 litres).

Moondarra Reservoir is nestled in the foothills of the Baw Baw Ranges, approximately a 10-minute drive out of the township of Erica. In years of drought, Gippsland Water has some drought relief storage that is available to top up Moondarra. A pipeline runs from Blue Rock Lake (which is owned by Southern Rural Water) to Moondarra.

Moondarra yields a good quality raw water supply, which is attributable to it being a controlled catchment. The entire catchment spans 275 square kilometres. The water produced by Moondarra requires some treatment by a water treatment plant to make it safe for drinking.

The end product is a drinking water supply that is of high quality for household use which fully complies with World Health Organisation Drinking Water Guidelines.

Reservoir statistics
Capacity	30,300 Ml
Surface area	242 Ha
Maximum depth	35m
Catchment area	275 sq km
Embankment statistics
Height	41.2m
Length of crest	335.5m
Width of crest	7.6m
Spillway
Free overall crest width	113.0m
Peak overflow	138,000 Ml/day (Tyers River)
Peak reservoir level	170.5m
Height of crest/overflow	166.16m

Moondarra water storage level

Click here to view enlarged graph
Updated 19 August 2008

Recreation at Moondarra

Moondarra Reservoir's recreation facilities lie within a beautifully landscaped park setting. Large native and European trees shade the picnic and barbeque areas, which overlook the reservoir. Public toilets are provided with facilities for the handicapped. The park also features three picturesque nature trails, which range from a pleasant 10-minute walk to a four hour hike through the bush land surrounding.

The Cecil Inn is located in the picnic grounds. It is the former tavern that served the township of Gould. The building was located on the floor of the reservoir and Gippsland Water salvaged and restored it, placing it where it is located today. The Cecil Inn is available for group bookings. A key can be arranged by contacting Gippsland Water.

Access to the shores of Moondarra is prohibited as the reservoir provides the region's drinking water and must be protected from contamination, to ensure the health of the community is protected.

Moondarra fire recovery

The Moondarra fires in January 2006 had a considerable impact on Gippsland Water's operations, both throughout the incident and in recovery efforts. Water supply to Erica and Rawson townships was maintained but impacted through a disinfection failure. Two hundred and thirty-five hectares of Gippsland Water's pine plantations were destroyed and there was damage to a section of the supply main from Moondarra Reservoir.

Gippsland Water's response to the incident was immediate. Key staff were involved in effective liaison with relevant parties to ensure critical assets were protected and service to customers continued. A Bushfire Incident Management Team was established to observe the status of the fire and and to identify current and prospective issues. Gippsland Water's Emergency Management Coordinator worked with the Municipal Emergency Control Centre and the Department of Sustainbility and Environment Incident Control Centre to ensure the organisation's issues were identified and addressed throughout the incident.

One such event occurred a week into the fire, as the blaze passed through the Tyers Gorge from the north-west. A roving helicopter spotted water gushing from an area relatively close to the transfer main from Moondarra Reservoir. On investigation, it was found that an air release pipe had been damaged by a falling tree, causing the constant outpour of water. The repair required the immediate fabrication of a part to close the pipe and a team to undertake the repair while being protected from the surrounding blaze by a fire truck and crew.

As the severity of the bushfire diminished, a Bushfire Recovery Team was established to identify resource requirements to recover from the fire's impact. Areas of focus were the health of the Tyers River catchment, the water quality within the reservoir and the operation of critical infrastructure downstream of the dam wall. Advice was sought from agencies who dealt with significant fires from Victoria's north-east and Canberra in early 2003. Dr Peter Kanowski from the Australian National University travelled to Gippsland to assess the impact from the fires and to pass on his knowledge and experience. Gippsland Water staff also visited regions of Canberra's water catchment to learn from their approach to rehabilitation works.

Local assistance has been sought from the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority to identify areas of the catchment considered at high risk of sediment movement. Escavators were then able to treat tracks throughout burnt areas to reduce the potential of sediment and ash being deposited into the reservoir. Where machinery was not able to access certain areas, silt fencing was installed to capture material. A fabricated curtain 100 metres long was also installed across a section of the Tyers River, allowing material that did reach the reservoir to drop out before reaching the downstream off-take.

Vegegation is currently responding well, with eucalypts regrowing nicely and a lush covering of bracken ferns and grasses spreading throughout the understorey. Regrowth will provide a barrier against rain sweeping sediment into the reservoir during intense rainfall. It will also provide native animals with nourishment and shelter as populations return to their previous numbers.

Water quality within the reservoir was an ongoing concern throughout the incident and arrangements were implemented to manage the variety of expected conditions. To date, water quality remains within normal limits.

Gippsland Water will continue to monitor the health of the catchment surrounding Moondarra, as well as the water quality from the reservoir and respective treatment plants. Measures are also being developed to prepare the organisation for any similar significant incident that may occur in the future.