LAKE Fyans has received a much needed mid-summer boost.
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GWMWater has started diverting 4000 megalitres from Lake Bellfield to Lake Fyans.
Authority spokesman Andrew Rose said the extra water would improve the water quality of Lake Fyans.
‘‘In these dry conditions, Lake Fyans supplies water to both Stawell and Great Western,’’ Mr Rose said.
‘‘It is also the main water supply for Ararat, although Ararat does get some from Mt Cole Reservoir.’’
Mr Rose said the transfer was something GWMWater usually did at this time of the year.
‘‘We try to keep enough water in Lake Fyans to secure the supply for those three towns,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s an important part of the water supply system, especially in these dry times – it’s the only way to get water to Stawell and Great Western.
‘‘We aim to keep it relatively full.’’
Mr Rose said the transfer had other benefits aside from water security.
‘‘Transferring the water now means we can better manage blue green algae blooms,’’ he said.
‘‘The transfer will freshen up the water quality, which means these blooms are less likely to develop.
‘‘Having blue green algae in Lake Fyans causes problems and is difficult to treat.
‘‘There is also the benefit of improving the recreational value of the lake, which is regarded quite highly by the community for tourism.’’
Mr Rose said the transfer started last week and would continue until March.
‘‘About 850 megalitres has already gone into Lake Fyans from Lake Bellfield,’’ he said.
Mr Rose said the amount of water in the storage system had hardly changed, despite heavy rainfall earlier this month.
‘‘There were not a lot of inflows into the system, but it did put a chock under the wheel,’’ he said.
‘‘The inflows we did get were not as large as we would like.’’
Mr Rose said at this time of the year, rain fell onto fairly dry catchments.
‘‘Historically, most inflows occur in spring and winter when the catchment is already wet,’’ he said.