Boating banned from lagoon

BOATING is temporarily no longer allowed at Hepburn Lagoon due to above-average water levels.

Managing authority Goulburn-Murray Water has closed off access to the lake for recreational boaters with the storage level reaching over 104 per cent capacity earlier this month.

General manager of GMW’s water storage services Martina Cusack said the lagoon’s current conditions are unsafe for recreational use.

“We currently have a lot of water from upstream running through these storages, this creates strong currents that boaters can easily get caught up in,” she said.

“Furthermore, these currents can easily carry people over the spillways where the water can be particularly turbulent.

“The high rainfall in our region also means a lot of debris is floating downstream and into our storages. This can also be hazardous for boaters.”

Boating at the lake is banned whenever the water levels spill due to risk of sucking boaters over the spillway.

Signage has been installed indicating the temporary restrictions.

No announcement has been made for when the lagoon will reopen for boating, and the levels will continue to be monitored daily.