Tantangara Dam algal bloom
We are aware of a naturally occurring algal bloom in Tantangara Dam which is known to occur in the region following warm weather.
The algal bloom appears to be unrelated to the Snowy 2.0 construction site.
We review water monitoring data from Snowy Hydro weekly, and other than algae, no other pollutants have been identified in the Dam.
EPA officers were onsite at Tantangara Dam on Tuesday 9 April and water quality appears to be improving. No dead fish were observed.
In late January 2024, the EPA and Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Fisheries received a report of a fish kill in Tantangara Dam. We inspected the dam with DPI Fisheries and were unable to verify the fish kill. Water sampling results did not identify any pollution in the water.
Snowy Hydro Limited (Snowy Hydro) has a statutory obligation under the Snowy Water Licence issued under the Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Act 1997 to transfer water from the Tantangara Dam. However, we understand on Tuesday afternoon it ceased transferring water to Eucumbene Dam.
We are actively monitoring the Snowy 2.0 site to ensure compliance with the environment laws.