Management Protocols Document Development

WMS Engineering was engaged by Bogan Shire Council (BSC) to develop an Operating Protocols Document for the Bogan Shire Water Supply Scheme, which sourced water primarily from the regulated Macquarie River and supplemented by flows from the Bogan River during suitable conditions. To enhance water security during droughts, two 700 ML off-river storages were constructed in Nyngan in 2022, providing additional drought storage capacity. However, no formal document exsited to guide the overall operation of the water supply scheme under varying conditions, prompting the need for a standardized operational framework.

The Operating Protocols Document captured existing operational knowledge and established a clear decision-making framework for managing the system during normal, flood, drought, and incident conditions. It outlined the key objectives and philosophy of the scheme, described the system’s operational configurations under different scenarios, and identified regulatory and environmental requirements that influence operational decisions.

The development of the Operating Protocols also considered ongoing and potential projects or policy changes that could impact the system’s operation, such as the Nyngan to Cobar Pipeline upgrade, changes in extraction patterns by irrigators and mining sectors, and the Macquarie–Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy. By providing a structured and adaptable framework, the document supported the council in making informed operational decisions, ensured water security, regulatory compliance, and efficient water resource management across the region.