Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 10:41
First I've actually heard anyone claim the the River Murray and Darling were in 'flood'. Many of the triutries feeding into the Darling (above the Menindie Lakes) had been in flood but that was about the extent of it. The River Murray downstream of
Wentworth has been receiving some flow but that's hardly a 'flood'.
FLOOD: a great flowing or overflowing of water, esp. over land not usually submerged.
The level of water in
Lake Victoria fluctuates regularly. I imagine that authorities have allowed the level to drop in anticipation of in-flow from the water still making it's way down from the Menindie Lakes and to also get some water into the Lower Lakes (a real political 'hot-potato'). It is all controlled by SA Water Corporation.
OF INTEREST
Role of
Lake VictoriaLake Victoria plays a critical role in increasing the efficiency in the operation of the River Murray system:
¦provides storage capacity for all water that enters the River Murray below Hume
Dam, and the
Darling River below
Menindee Lakes, or spills from these storages;
¦has a capacity of 680 gigalitres of water which is equal to approximately three months peak entitlement flow to South Australia;
¦is used to balance South Australia's entitlements by storing water in periods of high flow and releasing water when flows are low;
¦re-regulates surplus flow, for example, in summer there may be a reduction in irrigation as a result of thunderstorms and a corresponding increase in river flow, which can be stored in
Lake Victoria for supply to South Australia later;
¦migrates against the flow restructions imposed by a narrow section of the Murray known as Barmah Choke (near
Echuca);
¦provides a buffer for the dilution of high salinity water in the lower Murray; and
¦provides environmental benefits by managing high river flows to produce a flow that optimises the environmental benefits downstream of the Lake, by enhancing, mitigating or prolonging a flood peak depending upon the particular circumstances at the time.
The operation of the the Lake is based on a number of principles including the harmony of operation between
Lake Victoria and
Menindee Lakes salinity management guidelines, water storage and re-regulation requirements and management of environmental flows.
This water then left the lake as the Rufus River which re-enters the Murray further downstream. The present lake was formed in 1928 by the construction of a 52 km-long earthen
embankment around the original depression and acts as a water-balance storage to ensure water entitlements to South Australia.
AnswerID:
416241
Follow Up By: fishwenican - Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 19:50
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 19:50
No one was actually claiming that the murray was in flood !!!!!!!!!!!
I AM also aware how the muray darling catchment works !!!!!!!
I was under the impression from all reports that the darling WAS infact in flood.
My querie was purely one on where the hell are OUR flood waters from the Qld and NSW rains that we should be expecting when ever ????????
I also stated that it was dissappointing not to see any real level of water in Lake Vic that reflected these so called " record " rain falls.
As for the
menindee lakes .!!!!!!!!!
It is sheer criminal neglect to allow such large amounts of water to fill dried out lakes that serve no real purpose other than store water for a short period and allow it to be wasted through huge levels of evaporation. When instead no river saving water will make it to the murray here in SA because of this calous decision.
IF the murray had any chance of being replenished it appears now that that has passed.
The river needs a reasonable flood level to restore its aling condition.
However as long as those parasite irrigators in NSW and Qld that grow rice and cotton have their filthy hands on so much over allocated water we indeed have no chance here.
FollowupID:
686561