The Menindee Lakes scheme is designed to store river flows generated upstream of the Darling River catchment. In 2021/22, HARC was commissioned by WaterNSW to undertake a flood hydrology study, dambreak modelling, and a failure consequence assessment for the Menindee Lakes Scheme.
As part of the project, HARC developed a hydrological model of the study area using RORB and Source, as well as a hydraulic model using TUFLOW.
Twenty-four dambreak scenarios and nine no-failure scenarios were simulated within the TUFLOW model. The hydraulic modelling results of nineteen dambreak scenarios were carried through to HEC-LifeSim to estimate the potential loss of life from dam failure. HARC also estimated the economic consequences of the failure of the Menindee Lake Scheme. This information will be used by WaterNSW to assess dam safety risks at the scheme and prioritise future upgrades.
