THE TAMWORTH region's largest dam has surged to a level not seen in more than two years, but council's water boss has warned it won't solve supply issues.
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Split Rock Dam was at 11.7 per cent capacity on Wednesday afternoon. The huge dam is holding the same amount of water as Chaffey Dam does at 41 per cent full.
Split Rock Dam supplies the township of Barraba, but when the Manilla and Namoi rivers run dry, it also helps keep the taps running at homes in Manilla.
Tamworth Regional Council water and waste director Bruce Logan said while it's good to see the precious resource fill the dam, it doesn't spell the end for the region's water woes.
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"Manilla and Barraba are very secure water supplies, but the issue that we had during the most recent drought was ... we had to start releasing water from Split Rock Dam to allow us to pump it at Manilla," he told the Leader.
"Due to in stream losses and the relatively small amount of water that we wanted, [Water NSW] had to release an incredible amount, relatively speaking, of water from the dam to supply what we wanted at Manilla."
The small town lies more than 30km away from the dam.
"The fact that there is plenty of water in Split Rock Dam wasn't the issue, it was that we seem to have to waste a lot of water to get the small amount we needed at Manilla," Mr Logan said.
The water manager said that's one part of the drought management plan he wants to work on, when it is reviewed later this year.
"We need to look and see if there are ways we can improve that efficiency," he said.
Mr Logan confirmed the idea of a new pipeline was "one thing" being investigated by council, but that bubble was burst when he said that kind of major infrastructure would be unlikely to be part of the upcoming review.
"But as a drought management plan issue, how do we access our water supply for Manilla, and is there a better way to do that if we don't have a pipeline," he said.
Water lapping at the sides of Split Rock Dam and rain turning the surrounding hills green is a welcome sight for visitors to the dam.
The supply started 2020 at less than one per cent full, then waded through the year hovering around three to four per cent.
In December, rain bucketed down in the catchment and sent the supply soaring to where it sits now.
The level rose more than six metres in December and early January, and more than 26,000ML of water - that's 10,400 swimming pools' worth - gushed in.
It's been 20 years since the huge dam was full to the brim.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald.
