CHAFFEY Dam has surged to its highest level since October last year after downpours in the catchment flooded into the dam.
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Tamworth's main water source hit 19.5 per cent at 3pm on Tuesday, according to data from Water NSW.
The dam was sitting at 15.7 per cent capacity on Friday, but days of soaking rain in the catchment meant the supply increased by almost 4 per cent in three days.
John Sylvester is the 'Chaffey Dam rain maker' - a grazier at the top of the Peel River near Nundle.
He told the Leader on Tuesday that he hadn't seen flows so strong at his end of the Peel in almost four years.
"It's the best water, the most water we've seen flowing down the river since 2016," he said.
"It is just fantastic - it's so lovely to see all the gullies and creeks running and the dams full and even overflowing, there's lots of green grass around."
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Mr Sylvester said he'd clocked up about 90mm of rain at his property since Friday, and showers were still hanging around on Tuesday afternoon.
"It's more like the old times with the river flowing and keeping up a much better rate," he said.
From where Mr Sylvester's based, the water is charging downstream and into Chaffey Dam.
By Tuesday afternoon, almost 4000ML - or 1600 Olympic swimming pools - had entered the dam thanks to this rain event.
A Tamworth Regional Council spokeswoman confirmed council is not drawing from the dam at the moment so any water caught should go towards shoring up a bit of security for Tamworth's needs.
The city has been on strict Level 5 water restrictions for about nine months during the big dry, but the city won't be dropped back to Level 4 until Chaffey Dam climbs to 25 per cent full.
Dungowan Creek had a strong flow as well and by midday on Tuesday Dungowan Dam - Tamworth's back up supply - had reached 94 per cent full, and rising.
It was expected to reach 100 per cent capacity by the same time on Wednesday.
Rainfall in the catchment below Chaffey Dam saw rivers rise downstream, prompting a minor flood warning for Tamworth on Tuesday afternoon. It was triggered after the Cockburn River and Goonoo Goonoo Creek both gushed into the Peel in the city which saw the river flowing fast and high through town for much of the day and into the night.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
