Is Lake Eyre going to fill from the recent rains?

Craig, Thanks for the reply. I may be rushing to the answer I want to hear, but I can not help but think that this may be a significant event for Lake Eyre. If you have a look at the LEYC site, they have a graph of flooding rivers vs. lake levels.http://www.lakeeyreyc.com/Photos/FloodGraph.jpg

From this graph, you can see that the 3 most significant floods of '84, '89, '97 occured when the western and southern rivers were in flood. The northern catchment had very little to do with the flood in all three cases. In fact, the Cooper had nothing to do with the flood, and the Warburton had only minor contributions.

From the satelite photos there is masses of water to the west and all of the southern streams also flowing. The western rivers are rapidly increasing in size and heading towards lake eyre. The Neales and Macumba appear to be several kilometres wide, stretching for 50 plus kilometres. This is a very large volume of water that has no where to go except into lake Eyre. Unlike the cooper that fills an entire sandy basin between innaminka and the birdsville track, these rivers go straight into the lake.

Only time will tell what the correct answer is, but I would love to hear your feedback and more reports from Stephen L, Wright's air or others who may have the chance to observe these rivers in action.

Thanks again!

With all due respect to the LEYC they have been known to over estimate the flows forecasting far more water than actually arrives then as it evaporates leave old satalite photo's up making it appear there is still heaps of water when much has already gone. There are plenty of people who have taken boats up on the clubs reports only to find 50mm of water for seveal hundred metres.
From my observations to fill the lake there needs to be rainfall early in the northern catchments which may take several months to come down then have local rain coincide with it's arrval. Last year as an example saw local rain evaporate before the Warburton flow arrived which then mostly dissapeared before the Cooper finally made it.
If they get a significant fall in the Warburton catchment soon I'd say you may be right & this could be a big year indeed. Will wait & see as I would be keen to do another desert boating trip like our 2000 run down the Warburton, possibly on jet skis this time.
Cheers Craig...............

We have been watching and wondering about this too. We will be there around April a d were quite hopeful for a fair bit of water. Parks sa have said though that the rain hasn't been in the lake eyre catchment.

Fingers crossed though. We went to lake eyre south back in november. The ground was wet, but not much water.

Amy

Ruth,
for your info the Hamilton, Mort, Burke and Diamentina have not flowed at all up here in the head waters, rain has been ok but just in small amounts.

Have a good one

Hi Rockape,
Thought you might have been up there somewhere! Great photos and stories in The Australian today - even front page - can't believe that people think it hasn't happened like this before. In 2000 the western rivers ran just like now and there was a good flow into the Lake but we'd had good rain on the eastern side then also. Not too late for it to happen - quite often rain comes to Birdsville at Easter time.
And there a still another couple of cyclones due.........
Hope the fish in the Diamantina are growing and waiting for me.....
Cheers