I reckon Menindee Lakes are gunna fill

Submitted: Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 16:53
ThreadID: 76486 Views:8090 Replies:17 FollowUps:32
This Thread has been Archived
I just have had some 1st hand info that will be of interest to alot of people.

The Bridge in St George QLD has been predicted to be under water. They are predicting a flood of greater height than in 1990 when the water reached to top of the handrails on the roadway across the river.

Both the Maranoa and Balonne/Condamine rivers are rising fast due to saturated ground and full river systems.

They predict that the Maranoa and Balonne rivers will hit St George in unison and cause Major Flooding.

In 1990 the picnic huts at Beardmore dam were almost fully under water with people using boats to get to them so they could fish off the roofs LOL

With this amount of water predicted I reckon a fair amount of water will pass the Menindee lakes area and SA may get some finally ;)

If travelling in the SW of QLD make sure you call the local Police before travelling.
Some people here at work narrowly missed becomming a statistic this morning by stopping at a bridge partly covered with flood water only to watch the bridge disappear down stream. The road is now closed :)

Here in Chinchilla we have not recieved as much as elsewhere but enough to make the river rise. in the past 36 hours we have had 95mm whereas elsewhere in the region they have had 150+mm.

I now need to find my fishing gear as the Yellowbelly and Murray cod are rumoured to be on the bite :)))

Cheers Kev
Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

Back Expand Un-Read 0 Moderator

Reply By: Member - DAZA (QLD) - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:14

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:14
G/Day Kev

With the predicted height over the bridge, that will cause some damage in the Business Area plus a lot of private properties. the Pelicans Rest Caravan Park will go under as well on the other side of town, do you agree?.

Cheers
AnswerID: 406907

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:23

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:23
Daza,

The Pelicans rest Caravan park will be one of the last areas to go under water as it is probably the highest spot in St George.

In 1990 there was 1 house that got it's floor joists wet so it and a few others may get a little wet ;)

Below is the current situation with Meandarra Pub

Image Could Not Be Found

Cheers Kev
Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 676710

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:52

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:52
They have just revised the prediction for it to be around the 1996 flood which was not as high as 1990
From the BOM site :
Rises are continuing along the Balonne River from Warkin to St George. Moderate
flooding has developed at Warkon and Surat and major flooding continues to rise
at Weribone and St George. At 3pm, the Balonne River at St George was 6.41
metres and rising causing major flooding. The steep rises will continue at St
George during tonight and tomorrow with very high major flood levels expected to
continue into next week as the flood waters arrive from Bungil Creek and the
Maranoa and upper Balonne Rivers. River levels may reach similar heights to the
January 1996 flood that peaked at 10.98 metres on the manual gauge at St George.


The 1996 flood did not go over the bridge from memory

Cheers Kev

Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 676723

Follow Up By: Member - Andrew (QLD) - Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 09:19

Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 09:19
Your guys doing any assistance out there Kev?

Andrew
0
FollowupID: 676847

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 09:39

Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 09:39
Not yet LOL

The Chinchilla weir reached 100% last night at about 3:20am

Below is some pics I took at 8am

Image Could Not Be Found

Image Could Not Be Found

Image Could Not Be Found


Cheers Kev
Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 676851

Follow Up By: Isuzumu - Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 21:18

Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 21:18
I've had a couple of beers in the Meandarra pub
0
FollowupID: 677492

Reply By: Member - Ed C (QLD) - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:17

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:17
I reckon ya might be right ;-)

As well as those you've mentioned, the Warrego at Charleville is at major flood level, and the Weir/ Macintyre are up...

There's gonna be a lot of water headed south:)

:)


Confucius say.....
"He who lie underneath automobile with tool in hand,
....Not necessarily mechanic!!"

Member
My Profile  Send Message

AnswerID: 406909

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:24

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:24
They have erected the portable levy bank in Charleville so hopefully it will work to keep the flood waters out.

Cheers Kev
Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 676711

Follow Up By: Member - barry F (NSW) - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:30

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:30
You Plurry Qlders oughta put filters on your rivers and keep the Cane Toads out of the Southern states as we only need the water. LOL
0
FollowupID: 676714

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:35

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:35
Just for that Barry,

I'll call Cubbie Station and tel them to start pumping water and NSW will get NO water LMAO


Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 676717

Follow Up By: Member - Ed C (QLD) - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:37

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 17:37
Geez barry,
yer gettin' toast with butter & marmalade, and now yer askin' for caviar too.....

just can't please some people.......................

;-))

Confucius say.....
"He who lie underneath automobile with tool in hand,
....Not necessarily mechanic!!"

Member
My Profile  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 676719

Reply By: JR - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 18:08

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 18:08
upper Menindee lakes are already full, nothing in lower ones though and they are the big ones
Lots of water being sent to SA currently
AnswerID: 406917

Follow Up By: Member - Warrie (NSW) - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 18:43

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 18:43
Hi JR.This flood will be a test for the Murray Darling Basin Authority. They and the NSW govt came to an agreement late Jan to let the two smaller lakes fill and excess flows pass to SA which has had the benefit of allowing a flow down the Anabranch. Last time I checked these lakes were at 116%. Wouldn't it be nice to let all this Warrego water flow all the way to the Murray mouth and flush out the coastal lakes. Just a thought.... W
Warrie

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 676738

Follow Up By: Marny - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 22:21

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 22:21
S.A just got nearly 600 gig that could have easily filled menindee and cawndilla its about time that these natural lakes got the environmental flow that they deserve as they have been dry since 2002
0
FollowupID: 676791

Follow Up By: JR - Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 08:36

Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 08:36
Ah yes but theres a certain Federal Minister comes from SA doesnt she? and not many votes in West NSW
A lot of noise from lower SA Lakes area though

To fill Menindee/Cawndilla would have been an easier arguement if the regulator between the two was ever built, that way they could just fill Menindee and not have so much lost below river level in Cawndilla

But the regulator project has been proposed and knocked back many times, mainly by NPWS as I heard
0
FollowupID: 676843

Reply By: Karen & Geoff - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 18:49

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 18:49
Hi Kev, they were saying the exact same thing on the ABC radio on Sunday, exactly what you said, lets just hope they are right.

Bring it on,..............lol
Karen
AnswerID: 406921

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 19:05

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 19:05
Karen,

On the news on the telly they showed Charleville flooded as the portable levy bank was put in it's normal spot but the creek that also goes through town flooded as well and swamped the town LOL They can't win it would seem :(


Cheers Kev


Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 676740

Follow Up By: Karen & Geoff - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 23:23

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 23:23
mmmmm I was just thinking this time last year we were in Charlieville and I ended up in the Charlieville hospital unexpectedly. They have just evacuated the hospital the poor buggers. I wouldn't have been much help to them then.
Karen
0
FollowupID: 676803

Reply By: Member - Dunworkin (WA) - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 19:46

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 19:46
Awwwh the Murray Cod, haven't had a piece of that for I don't know how long,
and I mean decades. I remember when I was younger Mum & Dad use to take us down the Murray and go fishing for the Cod, I can taste it now.

Cheers

Deanna


Simba, our much missed baby.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  Send Message

AnswerID: 406930

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 20:01

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 20:01
I remember the dead ones floating in the river at Surat as a kid. A chemical truck missed the bridge and ended up in the river and poisoned them. There was some BIG fish floating as well.

Cheers Kev
Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 676755

Follow Up By: Member - Dunworkin (WA) - Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 03:04

Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 03:04
Those Murray Cod could grow big, I remember my grandparents had retired into Loxton and they had a house right on the river bank, guys in boats would stop at the front of the house and give them a big cod, geez they tasted great.
I believe that there are not too many left since the river has got into the state it is.

Cheers

Deanna


Simba, our much missed baby.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 676826

Follow Up By: Peter Horne [Krakka] - Thursday, Mar 04, 2010 at 12:44

Thursday, Mar 04, 2010 at 12:44
Murray Cod NEED the river to flood to breed. They actually breed on the floodplains. No floods, no cod.
0
FollowupID: 677096

Reply By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 20:50

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 20:50
Another update LOL

There is an expected 100K ML of water predicted to be passing through St George by Friday. This is local runoff only and not the water comming from the upper Balonne or Maranoa.

100K ML will lap the bridge in St George if the water from either the Maranoa or Upper Balonne hits at the same time then the Bridge will go under.

All the off stream water storages are full so there is no more capacity for water harvesting in the St george area.

Cubbie Station is 50% full due to flood plain catchment this water may fill it so all additional water to come down from the north of St george will continue down the river system.

I will post photos as I get them.

Cheers Kev
Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

AnswerID: 406945

Reply By: Dave B ( BHQ NSW) - Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 20:55

Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010 at 20:55
Have you got water wings on your Aurion Kev?

Dave
'Wouldn't be dead for quids'

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

AnswerID: 406946

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 07:17

Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 07:17
It is part Aurion and part submarine, I didn't know Toyota built Submarines either hahahaha

Cheers Kev
Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 676834

Reply By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 14:48

Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 14:48
Another revision of the St george Flood


Sunwater advise that at noon Wednesday the releases at Beardmore dam were 80,000
ML/d.

At 9am, the Balonne River at St George was 7.62 metres and rising causing major flooding. The rises will continue at St George during the next few days with a peak expected during the weekend. The peak at St George is now expected to reach similar levels to the April 1990 flood that peaked at 12.24 metres on the manual gauge.


Cheers Kev
Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

AnswerID: 407104

Reply By: Member - Roachie (SA) - Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 17:26

Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 17:26
Unfortunately, all we seem to get here on the Yorke Peninsula (SA) is day after day of clear blue sky!!! ;-(
AnswerID: 407125

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 17:28

Wednesday, Mar 03, 2010 at 17:28
hehehehe

Head over to see Hairs, he is still whinging about too much rain


Cheers Kev
Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 676950

Reply By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Thursday, Mar 04, 2010 at 10:26

Thursday, Mar 04, 2010 at 10:26
And the height increases yet again

As at 7am this morning

" Sunwater advised that at 7am Wednesday the releases at Beardmore dam were
135,000 ML/d.

At 7am, the Balonne River at St George was 9.72 metres and rising causing major flooding. The rises will continue at St George during the next few days with a peak expected during the weekend. The peak at St George is now expected to exceed the April 1990 flood that peaked at 12.24 metres on the manual gauge and could possibly reach 12.5 to 13 metres."

The Flood of 1946 was higher than the 1990 flood and it would take a massive amount of water to exceed that. I would estimate that the level would need to be about 15m to beat the 1946 level.


Cheers Kev





Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

AnswerID: 407211

Reply By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Thursday, Mar 04, 2010 at 21:30

Thursday, Mar 04, 2010 at 21:30
The Bridge in St George is now CLOSED to all traffic due to rising flood waters.

It is now estimated that it will peak approx 1m above the top of the handrails .

Cheers Kev
Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

AnswerID: 407284

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 08:47

Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 08:47
There is about 1.0m of water over the bridge now and a heap of water yet to come.

More rain fell upstream last night in the Maranoa catchment so the maranoa river has started to rise upstream once again.


Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 677244

Reply By: cycadcenter - Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 02:54

Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 02:54
I see that Paradise Dam is full for the first time since completion. hopefully Sunwater will give us a full allocation next year instead of playing games like they did this year.
AnswerID: 407314

Reply By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 09:00

Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 09:00
Phots of the flooding in St george

Image Could Not Be Found

Image Could Not Be Found

Image Could Not Be Found

Image Could Not Be Found

Image Could Not Be Found

Image Could Not Be Found

Image Could Not Be Found

Image Could Not Be Found

Image Could Not Be Found

Image Could Not Be Found
Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

AnswerID: 407336

Reply By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 11:07

Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 11:07
More Pics as of 8am this morning

Image Could Not Be Found

Image Could Not Be Found

Image Could Not Be Found

Image Could Not Be Found


Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

AnswerID: 407360

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 19:19

Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 19:19
at 4:30pm the releases from Beardmore Dam were 245,000 ML/d

I'd say it will crack more than 300 000ML/d before it peaks.


Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 677353

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 20:09

Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 20:09
Image Could Not Be Found



Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 677357

Reply By: Member - Tour Boy ( Bundy QLD) - Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 15:03

Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 15:03
Kev,
They are predicting 600mm for March, 40% above av for April and double the mthly rainfall for May in Bundaberg.
The river started rising yesterday as paradise dam is overflowing. This morning you could nearly walk from one side to the other on top of all the vegetation being washed downstream.
If this rain eventuates then you will get another round.

Cheers
Dave
Cheers,
Dave
2010 Isuzu FTS800 Expedition camper
2015 Fortuner
Had 72 cruisers in my time

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message

AnswerID: 407390

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 15:13

Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 15:13
We have had another 25mm of rain today already.

Bring on a weekend of rain and fishing ;)



Cheers Kev


Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 677311

Follow Up By: Isuzumu - Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 17:40

Friday, Mar 05, 2010 at 17:40
Bloody hell we might not make it to Bargara Sunday week lol and the BOM said later last year we were going to have an extreme dry wet season this year !!!!!!!!!!
0
FollowupID: 677336

Follow Up By: cycadcenter - Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 04:23

Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 04:23
Hi Dave,

Must be getting fairly wet around Bundy with all the water coming out of Paradise and saw that you'd had 63 mm overnight.

I live in San Diego most of the time but have a house down at Childers and also a block off Voss Road so I'd be interested in an update

Thanks

Bruce
0
FollowupID: 677396

Follow Up By: Member - Tour Boy ( Bundy QLD) - Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 21:09

Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 21:09
It isn't too bad yet,
Been sanding and painting the outside of the house and cut the grass today and no rain since this morning but the radar shows some comming in from the north-east tonight.
Last I looked Paradise was 2m over the wall, about 10 boats broke their mooring in the river yeasterday due to the vegetation and surge but as of this morning the river was only about 1m higher than the high tide mark.
If we get flooded where we are (about 65 feet above the av river height), the rest of Bundy will be in the washed into the ocean.

I don't usually listen to the BOM, the moon man (Ken Ring) is much more accurate.

Cheers
Dave
Cheers,
Dave
2010 Isuzu FTS800 Expedition camper
2015 Fortuner
Had 72 cruisers in my time

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 677489

Follow Up By: Member - Tour Boy ( Bundy QLD) - Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 10:41

Sunday, Mar 07, 2010 at 10:41
Had another 2 inches so far today.
Cheers,
Dave
2010 Isuzu FTS800 Expedition camper
2015 Fortuner
Had 72 cruisers in my time

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 677534

Reply By: Tony LePony - Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 09:40

Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 09:40
Hi Kev

It would be great for the anabranch, Menindee lakes and lower lakes to get a drink. The huge disgrace is that it takes a 1-in-a-hundred-year flood to achieve this.

At this stage they are predicting less than 25% - around 700 GL - See SMH article or so will make it into the Darling after water harvesting. (Cubbie Station alone will take 4-500 GL. This is equivalent to about 2 or 3 times the daily flow through St George during this flood!)

This harvested water will just be left to evaporate in shallow storage or used for flood irrigation - the most inefficient way to water anything. A few people will now have jobs on flood irrigated crops. Big deal. No one has a right to a job with such a high cost - for both the environment and people downstream.
AnswerID: 407484

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 09:59

Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 09:59
Tony,

I think you need to check your figures and also check what levels the Cubbie Station water levels are at.

The total private storage capacity in the Lower Balonne is approximately 1,200GL of which Cubbie was the only private storage that was not already at 100% capacity prior to this flood event.

Cubbie Station has a capacity of 462GL, before this flood event hit it was already at 50% capacity from the previous flood event earlier in the year.

I would suspect, (I will try to get confirmation today) that Cubbie is close to full capacity, and none of the water harvesting was done by pumping.

As at 8pm last night 301GL/d of water was passing through Beardmore Dam.

The average water storage depth on Cubbie is 8m when compared to the usual standard of 3m.

No one also has the right to say how someone can legally make a living.

This flood is also NOT a 1 in a Hundred year event it is more likely a 1 in 500 year event.

The sooner the Federal government has the controlling hand the better. That would at least stop all the southern states critising something they don't fully understand.

Cheers Kev

Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 677405

Follow Up By: Tony LePony - Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 11:21

Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 11:21
Hi Kev

(Not sure that my 1st response got thru...)

Your post is about water for the Menindee Lakes. My reply is about why there won't be enough - because of these huge extractions that stuff up the environment downstream.

We know that Cubbie storages were already half full - and your figures agree with mine.

Cubbie was given the huge allocation by a spineless Qld state goverment and now we - the tax payer - are being asked to buy it back.

I am sick of hearing "No one also has the right to say how someone can legally make a living." This is a platitude. Fishing with dynamite, restaurants with rats in the kitchen, building with asbestos were all legal activities at some point.

Legal doesn't make it right to extract such a huge amount of water.


Cheers

Tony
0
FollowupID: 677420

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 11:41

Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 11:41
The majority of Cubbies allocation is for Flood harvesting only. To single out Cubbie as the problem is narrow minded, a conmbined reduction in all allocations along the whole catchment system is the only FAIR way to enable environmental flows to at least have some impact.
I have said it before on here that I think the water extraction policy needs to be revised and one way to enable environmental flows would be to increase the required flow rate needed to enable flood harvesting. In addition to that there is also a need to change how each standard water allocation is extracted with similar water flow requirements prior to extracting normal allocations if that water is to be used in off stream storages.

Cheers Kev
Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 677427

Follow Up By: Tony LePony - Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 12:00

Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 12:00
Hi Kev

I agree with most of what you are saying here. Cubbie is an obvious target simply because it is the biggest. It is also reasonable to claim that much of the water allocation down south here in SA was also virtually gifted to the irrigators, so Cubbie is not alone here.

Irrigation is a necessary part of our economy, but whether it's by flood, center pivot or dripper, everyone should pay the same per MgL AT THE TAKE-OFF POINT from the river.

It used to be that Cubbie only paid $3,700 per annum for its license of 460 gig or whatever. Probably still the case.

The reason that I am going on about this - in the middle of a huge flood in St George - is that in the next few weeks a lot of critical decisions about water diversion will be made in QLD and NSW.

There needs to be pressure to keep enough water to 'reset' the river system - not just create an agricultural bonanza in the above states.

Then there may be enough water for Menindee, anabranch, wetlands all along the river and lower lakes.

The lower end of the Murray is starting to look like Lake Eyre. If this salt isn't flushed out, then the Murray will die from the mouth backwards, including all the high value fruit and vine plantings that return much more in terms of money - and jobs.

cheers

Tony

0
FollowupID: 677430

Follow Up By: Sir Kev & Darkie - Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 12:23

Saturday, Mar 06, 2010 at 12:23
I doubt any water diversions will be done in QLD as everything is full. The water that is currently passing St George is mostly local water with water still peaking upstream at Old Cashmere on the Maranoa and Warroo on the Balonne.

Water that was diverted at Menindee earlier this year should have filled a few of the major water holes and this water that is currently heading south in the St George (Maranoa, Balonne) and Cunnamulla (Warrego) river systems should really push some good water levels down to the Murray mouth.

Russell Coight:
He was presented with a difficult decision: push on into the stretching deserts, or return home to his wife.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 677432

Reply By: olcoolone - Monday, Mar 29, 2010 at 22:07

Monday, Mar 29, 2010 at 22:07
We got a Photo from Cousins in Broken Hill today of water in Lake Menindee.
They are saying within 5 weeks it should be full.

Does that mean Water skiing at Sunset Strip might happen again.

Only problem they have at the moment is all the Creepy Crawlies trying to escape the water and invading the houses.

I would imagine the hoards will venture that way this weekend.

Have a Safe Easter everybody

Regards
Mrs. Olcoolone
AnswerID: 410972

Sponsored Links