¶ THE wet start to winter has resulted in a welcome increase in Wellington Dam water levels.
But capacity is still well down year-on-year after last year’s poor rainfall and an extended dry run through the early months of 2024.
The dam is at 33.4 percent of capacity, holding 61.69 gigalitres of water, up from 54.85 gigalitres last month.
The monthly rise brings to an end a seven-month streak of declines, but capacity is significantly lower than last year’s 104.2 gigalitres.
In June 2022, the dam was holding 123.39 gigalitres.
Storage levels were similar in 2021 at 68.59 gigalitres, but significant winter rain resulted in a jump of over 100 gigalitres, with 171.93 gigalitres recorded in November of that year.
Harris Dam is at 21.2 percent of capacity, holding 15.27 gigalitres, down from 20.61 gigalitres last year and 22.59 gigalitres in 2022.
The smaller Glen Mervyn Dam is at just 4.8 percent of capacity, down from 25.7 percent year-on-year, and Mungalup Dam is at 54.8 percent of capacity, down from 71 percent year-on-year.
There is a 45 to 55 percent chance of Collie exceeding the median rainfall for July through to September, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.