WEATHER WARNING: Hawkesbury Nepean

Roads and Maritime Services is advising boat owners to review arrangements for vessels moored on the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers following advice the Warragamba Dam is forecast to start spilling downstream from about 8am tomorrow (August 27).

Anyone with a boat in either waterway should consider making arrangements to move it further downstream in the likely event of flooding.

There are reports the extra water flow may cause the Nepean River, which leads into the Hawkesbury River, to rise about five metres in the Penrith area, about eight metres near Richmond and about six metres at Windsor, by around 9pm tomorrow (August 27).

The best advice is to avoid the Hawkebsury River in the next few days, and if you have a boat on a mooring on either the Nepean or Hawkesbury, then it would be a good idea to move it further downstream.

Additionally, Roads and Maritime advises people to avoid recreational boating on the Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers in the few days for safety reasons as flood water can be fast flowing and dangerous due to the submerged and semi-submerged hazards it contains.

Boaters would be encouraged to use other waters recreationally until flooding conditions subside. But in the longer term, the flush will be great for the river system and the fishing. Spring jewfish should really be on the chewing. Get ready and stay safe.

For more information on boating safety visit For more information on boating safety see http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/maritime/

For more information on water levels and flooding visit www.ses.nsw.gov.au/communitysafety/floodsafe/.