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Snowy Hydro Teaching Plan

Teachable moments
1.The Snowy Hydro Scheme is mostly located in the Kosciuszko National Park.
However, only two per cent of its engineering features are above the ground
2.The Snowy River rises on the slopes of Mt Kosciuszko, 7000ft above sea level
3.Guthica Project aka Little Norway comprised of the largest group of Norweigans
outside of Norway
4.The Snowy Hydro Scheme took 25 years to complete
5.The Snowy Mountains Scheme consists of sixteen major dams, seven power
stations, a pumping station and 225 kilometres of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts
6.The entire scheme stretches over 5,124 square kilometres of mountainous area in
southern New South Wales
7.The water that is diverted by the scheme to surrounding farmlands is said to
contribute to over $3 billion in agricultural produce
8.The Snowy Hydro provides approximately 32% of all renewable energy that is
available to the eastern mainland grid of Australia and up to 10% of all electricity
needs of New South Wales
9.Before the construction of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme, the iconic
Snowy River was the largest snowmelt river in Australia
10.In order to meet electricity and water irrigation demands, the construction of the
Snowy Hydro Scheme has lead to the diversion of 99 per cent of the Snowy Rivers
mean natural flow at Jindabyne
Teaching plan/activity
To demonstrate the numerous stakeholders involved in the scheme and the pressures
and demands on the Snowy, Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers at present, including:
energy production, irrigation to farmlands and towns, recreational and environmental
Fill a nalgene to represent the available water in the Snowy Hydro
Allocate each person to a demand
Pass the Nalgene to each person (starting with energy, irrigation etc and finishing
with environmental) taking a sip (or multiple) to represent water allocation
1.Energy production (houses, hospitals, schools, traffic lights)
-Eg. five sips
2. Irrigation to farmlands (fruit, grains, grazing)
- Five sips
3. Irrigation to towns (South Australia)
- Five sips
4. Recreational (fishing, paddling, steam engines)
- Three sips
5. Vegetation
- One sip
6. Frogs
- One sip
7. Fish
- One sip (running out)
8. Mammals
- One sip (running out)
9. Water birds
-One sip (running out

Snowy Hydro Teaching Plan


To explain during activity
The construction of the Snowy Hydro Scheme has lead to the diversion of 99 per
cent of the Snowy Rivers mean natural flow at Jindabyne. The construction and
operation of the Snowy Hydro Scheme and its associated altered water flows have had
a significant impact on the water quality and ecology of the upper reaches of the
Snowy, Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers.
Highlight the impacts of the environment including:
(NSW Office of Water, 2010, p9).
Changed water temperature:
-The controlled damming and releasing of water has resulted in the water
temperatures being significantly lower than their natural temperatures. This has had
negative impacts on species where water temperature triggers breeding cycles. In an
attempt to minimize these environmental disturbances, a multi-level offtake at Lake
Jindabyne was built, this has been successful in reducing the impacts of cold water
release however natural temperatures in many areas have still not been restored
Loss of medium and high flows:
-Nearly all medium and high flow events in the Snowy River are captured by the
Snowy Hydro Scheme. Spring snow melts lead to high flows, which act as a trigger
for native fish migration and breeding. Furthermore, medium and high flow events are
necessary to enable native fish to move over natural barriers
Reduced flow variability:
-The reduction of river flows has had significant impacts on the natural environment
as they are crucial in allowing the natural processes of flushing sediments and
maintaining natural water temperatures. Consequently, habitats for native aquatic
species and water quality have deteriorated
Changes to the physical characteristics of the river
-Altered river flows have resulted in an increased deposition of sand and silt as well
as the loss of the diversity of in-stream habitat. There has also been a significant
increase in the amount of periphytic algae.
Vegetation
-Terrestrial vegetation has colonized the river bed. Reduced flows and increased
sedimentation has led to willow invasion
Macrophytes (Common reeds) have choked shallow and slow flowing areas and
there has been excessive increase algae
Macro-invertebrates
-Aquatic invertebrates that prefer slow moving or still, and warmer shallow water
conditions have taken over from those which were better suited to faster flows an
cooler water, particularly in warmer months
Frogs
-The changes to in-stream and riparian habitat has had an impact on the presence
abundance of frog species that breed in the flowing water and in pools and ephemeral
ponds adjacent to the main stream
Fish
-The reduction in flows as a consequence of the Snowy Mountains Scheme has
resulted in a decline in native fish biodiversity and abundance due to habitat
alteration, disruption of life history processes and recruitment, loss of connectivity

Snowy Hydro Teaching Plan


and invasion of native species
Mammals
-Platypus and the water rat have been regularly observed in the Snowy River but are
probably affected by changes in macro-invertebrates and increase in algae on the bed
of the river. Platypus, in particular , need shallow running water to increase food
availability and to reduce the risk of terrestrial based predation
Water birds
-The impacts on waterbird species has been through the reduction in the water
available from medium and high flow events, reducing the extent of floodplain
channels, swamps and marshes, and where floodplain move toward terrestrial habitat
(The Snowy River Alliance) The Alliance argues that if the Hydro schemers release
just a third of the Snowys original flows, its ecology could be restored, compared to
the less than 5% currently

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