AWMA have completed the Wimmera CMA project. Alluvium Consulting engaged AWMA to assist in delivering this project for the Wimmera CMA involving four regulated sites. This project improves GWMWater’s ability to provide environmental flow releases, as well as manage efficient distribution of water resources to GWMWater’s storages through the installation of AWMA’s LayFlat gates.
The AWMA LayFlat gate features an overshot design with a downward-opening tilting gate suitable for maintaining water level or regulation of flows. The gates and metering devices installed enable accurate measurement and provide opportunity for increased flows through each site. All regulators are currently operated on-site through AWMA’s fully automated HMI (Human Manual Interface) touch screen. The water control gates installed can be easily integrated into a new or existing SCADA system for remote operation and monitoring at a later date if required.
According to reports provided by the Wimmera CMA “considerable efforts have been made in recent years to improve river health, however ageing infrastructure is not suitable for safe and efficient water regulation. The proposed Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline project is expected to free up additional water for environmental purposes. To achieve the greatest benefits from these environmental entitlements the existing waterway regulators needed to be modified to facilitate the accurate delivery of environmental flows”.
The Wimmera CMA project required structure upgrades at four sites to enable a reliable and accurate delivery of environmental water releases through the MacKenzie River system.
Wimmera CMA advised, “The original structures were a series of stopboard type gates that were performing their design function but required manual operation. The focus of the modifications was to improve the ease and efficiency of environmental water delivery, while also addressing the issue of OH&S risks with drop board structures”.