Lake Eppalock has started spilling for the second time in two years as flood-affected residents' anxiety grows.
Key points:
- Lake Eppalock in Central Victoria has started spilling
- Residents are on edge after last year's spill happened just before devastating flooding
- Its expected to spill for 7-10 days
Residents have been calling for authorities to release more water from Lake Eppalock as levels rose to provide "airspace" to try to prevent another devastating flood.
Lake Eppalock spilled and the Campaspe River burst its banks in October last year, when historic floods struck Victoria, devastating Rochester.
Rochester resident Catriona Jenkins organised a symbolic protest on Sunday, where residents voiced their concerns about the full lake.
She said authorities had waited too long to act.
"We can't go through this again," she said.
"The prospect is terrifying.
"It would help if there was a little bit of airspace.
"It would just allow us to breathe a little bit easier."
Ms Jenkins said residents felt on edge and helpless as they watched the lake and next week's weather forecast.
She is one of many residents still living in a caravan, fighting an insurance company to repair her home.
"The last few months we've dealt with being out of our homes and waiting to get into our home ... on top of it all, we're constantly concerned about the potential for another flood," she said.
Residents said if Goulburn Murray Water released 1600ML a day from Lake Eppalock, it would go down to 90 per cent capacity in 20 days.
They hoped Goulburn Murray Water would take that action.
"They need to get rid of as much as they can," Ms Jenkins said.
"If it rains, there's nowhere else for the water to go, except down the river towards us."
Spill does not mean flood
Goulburn Murray Water said Lake Eppalock levels were above full supply level at 100.7 per cent.
"We are releasing 800 megalitres a day through the valve and there is around 80 megalitres a day spilling over the primary spillway," water storage services manager Martina Cusack said.
"Inflows are around 1800 megalitres a day and receding and are expected to recede further in the coming week."
She said spilling did not mean flooding, as Goulburn Murray Water monitored the spillway and conditions.
"River levels have risen as a result of increasing releases from Lake Eppalock and the storage starting to spill, however the river levels downstream are well below flood levels and below the level of typical higher environmental flows usually delivered in spring," she said.
The authority it could release more water ahead of forecast rain.
"At this stage, there is no significant rain forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology over the next week," Ms Cusack said.
"Despite the catchment being saturated, we aren't expecting significant rises in stream flows.
"Water passing over the Lake Eppalock spillway is a normal feature of the dam and has occurred in around half of the years since it was constructed."
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