Flood Watch – Shoalhaven Local Government Area

**Cumulonimbus clouds: forming heavy rain and thunder on the horizon**

Credits to A Sevenler
Senior Floodplain Engineer
Shoalhaven City Council

Dear All,

South East New South Wales is expecting heavy rainfall over the coming days and the possibility of high ocean water levels coinciding with a wave event this weekend and early next week. The Bureau of Meteorology have issued a Flood Watch for the Shoalhaven River and St Georges Basin catchments. The Bureau of Meteorology is expecting moderate flooding for the Shoalhaven River and moderate to major flooding for the St Georges Basin.

There is a possibility that lake trigger levels may be reached due the amount of rainfall expected in the coming days. If an emergency opening is triggered a lake or river will be opened to the ocean if the entrance area is safe for the operator and machinery and the ocean is lower than the lake or river.

The following tables summaries current water levels in key Council managed lakes and rivers:

Location	Water Level (m AHD)	Entrance Condition	Monitoring Status	Emergency opening level (m AHD)
Lake Conjola	0.28	Closed	Monitor	1.2
Burill Lake	0.36 (tidal)	Open	Monitor	1.2
Lake Tabourie	0.30	Closed	Monitor	1.17
Shoalhaven Heads (Shoalhaven River)	-0.23 (tidal)	Closed	Monitor	2.0

Current water levels in key Council managed lakes and rivers:

In addition to the Flood Watch, a severe weather warning is in place for DAMAGING WINDS, HEAVY RAINFALL, ABNORMALLY HIGH TIDES and DAMAGING SURF for the Illawarra and South Coast.