December 12, 2019
Sunwater is urging boaties to take care when using Boondooma and Bjelke-Petersen dams because of the lower-than-usual dam levels and possible submerged hazards.
“While there’s plenty of fun to be had, caution should always be exercised when using watercourses recreationally,” Sunwater CEO Nicole Hollows said.
“The water may look still and calm but can be dangerous and unpredictable.
“The threat of exposed and submerged hazards, shallow water and blue-green algae increases as dam levels drop.”
Ms Hollows said most injuries around waterways were caused by a combination of being in unauthorised areas, excess alcohol consumption and not boating to conditions.
Sunwater said there were four key safety tips that people should follow:
- Always read the signs
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Proceed with caution, and
- Keep at least 200m away from dam and weir walls.
At 10:00am on Thursday, Bjelke-Petersen Dam was at 4.15 per cent capacity and Boondooma Dam was at 24.51 per cent.
