Australian Alps education kit
Australian Alps Liaison Committee, November 2005
Water Catchment in the Australian Alps
The Australian Alps contribute to the catchments of a number of vitally important streams in New South Wales (NSW), Victoria (VIC), South Australia (SA) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). They do this by capturing precipitation which slowly filters to the surrounding lowlands through an extensive system of rivers.
This precipitation is an extremely important resource for inhabitants utilising these streams and also for conservation of downstream environments. These two broad uses are often in direct conflict, presenting many challenges for Alps management.
The Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme involved diverting the headwaters of the Snowy, Eucumbene and the Murrumbidgee Rivers westward through the Australian Alps. This provided water to the inland and created the Murray and Murrumbidgee Irrigation Areas. As part of the plan the water would drop steeply, approximately 800 metres, through power stations, creating power for mainland eastern Australia, from Queensland in the north, including Sydney and Canberra, to Melbourne and Adelaide in the south. There are also 100s of kilometres of power transmission lines connecting the Snowy Mountains Scheme power stations to the main areas of NSW, Victoria and the ACT.
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