Woronora River Environmental Flows scoping study

"March 1999".

Project Number: Drinking water program - Woronora River study - M/04/1870.

MDFRC item.

Sydney Water owns and operates Woronora Dam on the Woronora River, a tributary of the Georges River. The dam supplies water for Sydney Water’s customers in the southern suburbs of Sydney and nearby areas. Sydney Water is in the process of preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding environmental flows in the Woronora River. As a first step in the preparation of the EIS, Sydney Water commissioned investigations of the existing environment of the Woronora River downstream of the dam. This include investigations of: Local flora and fauna; River geomorphology; River hydrology and hydraulics; In-stream water quality; and Aquatic ecology (focussing on macroinvertebrates and fish). In order to continue the EIS process and identify the aims and objectives for any future environmental flows, Sydney Water (SWC) has commissioned this scoping review to: Obtain credible and independent expert advice about the findings of the above mentioned investigations in relation to developing an environmental flow regime for the river; Obtain credible and independent expert advice that will assist with defining a rigorous scientific process for identifying environmental flows for the river; Obtain credible and independent expert advice about scoping further investigations of the Woronora River relevant to the development and monitoring of an environmental flow regime.