CATEGORY
Inland waterways
Fish stocking program continues to strengthen fish populations
The NSW Government’s Fish Stocking Program continues to play a vital role in enhancing recreational fishing opportunities and strengthening fish populations across the state. Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the Fish Stocking Program saw a record number of native fish, salmonoid (trout and salmon) and marine species bred and stocked in 2021-22, with the NSW Government releasing more than 5.3 million fish into waterways throughout NSW.
Sand slug season
As the Albanese Government is trying to rush through its water recovery strategy before Christmas, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s sand slug has been very active. Like a mythical creature that lurks in the watery depths, the sand slug was the MDBA’s answer to why the natural constraint of the Barmah Choke had reduced in water delivery capacity ... A recent photo from grass roots community members continues to highlight the rapid rate of erosion at Davies Beach, Cobram.
Moulamein Notebook – River dropping slowly
China Gibson. The 2022 flood will be the new 100-year flood level in the Edward at Moulamein. The old record was 6.094m. I think we got to 6.235m ... When you start to open banks, block banks or leave banks that stop water flow, it always affects someone else. That is the way floods are. The old saying has always been, “Fires unite, floods divide.” Pretty close to the truth ... Before all this flood stuff got real, I noticed that some of our frogs had laid their eggs in some wheel tracks that had water in them ...
River Murray flows remain consistent with previous forecasts as government moves to daily height updates: Malinauskas and Szakacs
Today’s River Murray flow update shows the floodwater peak is still due in Renmark around the end of December and forecasts remain between 190 and 220 gigalitres a day, consistent with previous projections. While flow rates are useful for forecasting the scale of floods, water heights provide a better picture of conditions on the ground. Subsequently, as we are now closer to the expected peak, the Department for Environment and Water is now able to provide daily height forecasts for population centres.
Murray–Darling Basin Authority communique, 12 December 2022
The Authority commended the ongoing efforts of the MDBA river operators to provide significant flood mitigation for communities downstream of Hume Dam, with twice the volume of the dam's capacity having been carefully released over the past 6 months to manage downstream flows. This has enabled the peak outflow from Hume Dam to be moderated throughout winter and spring.
Moulamein peaks
Residents and landholders have breathed a sigh of relief this week as flood waters peaked at Moulamein at a height of 6.235m. While the peak is a welcome sign, the impacts of the flooding are still dramatic on the community ... In what is typically a busy time for mixed irrigators of Moulamein, the flooding is hampering the harvest of winter crops and rice production.
Community leads fish protection
As the weather warms up and dissolved oxygen in the local rivers and creeks remain dangerously low, the community is leading the fish protection response. From old bedframes with dripper lines supplied with air compressors, to garden hoses circulating water, and even a paddleboat churning through $700 in fuel per week in an effort to provide an oxygenated refuge for native fish. The Murray Downs Marina dissolved oxygen went up above 5mg/L after four days with the Iron Dry paddle boat running.
Records fall as water rises
North of Barham, the flood devastation continues as millions of dollars of crops are lost, houses flooded, and residents battle the relentless rising waters. The river heights at Moulamein are setting new records, the flood benchmark height of the 1956 6.09m is eclipsed, with water exceeding 6.22m.
Choke hold
Even with more than 100,000 megalitres a day crossing the South Australian border, SA Water closed the barrages due to seawater flowing into the freshwater estuary. SA Water satellite imagery also shows the current flooding is still not moving down the Coorong. The real risk of constraints relaxation may be felt closer to home. The modification of the Barmah Choke has been seen as the crown jewel for accessing held environmental water. The choke protects Echuca-Moama and Koondrook-Barham from large Murray floods from Hume Dam, currently on display with the flows heading north down the Edward-Wakool system ... Community concerns over constraints relaxation flooding farmers and potentially impacting townships has been labelled as scaremongering by MDBA Chief Executive Andrew McConville.
Maintaining wetlands monitoring: Cape York NRM
The Mary Valley wetlands will undergo a new round of monitoring as an ongoing record of how the area is faring following works carried out on Country ... This month, Cape York project officer Ben Ansell visited one of the wetland sites with Traditional Owner Ashley Lyall to determine the percentage of feral cattle footprints, pig damage and live vegetation cover in the area.
Murray Darling Basin Authority is out of touch: VFF
The Victorian Farmers Federation has expressed outrage towards the comments made by Murray Darling Basin Authority Chief Executive Andrew McConville in his Rural Press Club address, 10 years after the Basin Plan gave the green light to take water from farming communities. VFF Water Council Chair Andrew Leahy said Mr McConville’s commentary ignored the ongoing impact of the Murray Darling Basin Plan on farming communities and sounded like it was designed to appease the Federal Labor government ... “We expect the MDBA CEO to be professional and impartial, not a political sycophant. It seems he needs to re-read the Basin Plan as he forgot to mention in his speech that the 450GL is only possible if there are no negative social and economic impacts”.
Flood emergency: Council to levy governments for funding of upgrades
Both the Narrandera Shire Council Mayor Neville Kschenka and General Manager George Cowan will lobby the State and Federal Governments for funding for upgrades to highways as well as the town’s water supply and stormwater systems ... Submissions will be lodged with the NSW Government seeking support for routine flood damage repairs, highlighting the importance of betterment to the Newell and Sturt Highways and the Narrandera town water supply and stormwater systems.
Moulamein flood meeting held
The Moulamein Club was packed as community members gathered on Monday to hear the flood advice from Murray River Council, SES and NSW Police ... “Since we started the last meeting last Monday, the prediction was 6.1m. By the time we left that meeting, the prediction was 6.2m and on Sunday morning, I believe it reached 6.099 metres which is now the highest we’ve ever seen": Murray River Council’s Director of Infrastructure, Jack Bond.
Stop building on floodplains chorus growing
Rodney Stevens. The united chorus of ‘Stop building on Floodplains’ from federal and state leaders during the devastating and ongoing flooding in NSW during 2022 could reshape communities and country towns. Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt last week called for new laws to be introduced to stop homes being built on floodplains and other disaster-prone areas.
State government secures flood defence resources for River Murray communities: Malinauskas, Szakacs
1.5 million sandbags and almost 8 km of flood barriers have been secured by the South Australia Government to help protect flood affected River Murray communities. Three kilometres of DefenCell barriers from India arrived in Adelaide on Saturday 19 November with a further four kilometres of product expected to arrive on 28 November from Italy.
No secret pact for water buybacks: Anderson
The NSW Government has reaffirmed its opposition to non-strategic water buybacks being used to meet water recovery targets as part of the Murray Darling Basin Plan ... Mr Anderson said the NSW Government welcomes the Commonwealth correcting the record and reaffirming there is no open round of buybacks being undertaken. “We have seen first-hand the negative long-term impact non-strategic buybacks have had on our communities and we want to avoid this,” Mr Anderson said.
River levees to be reinforced to protect community
Mildura Rural City Council. Work is about to start on a major project to reinforce or establish levees along a three-kilometre stretch of riverfront ... Working under the direction of lead agency the Victorian State Emergency Service, Council will reinforce or add to existing earthen levees along a 1.5-kilometre stretch of riverfront near Flora Avenue and Ranfurly Way to protect against predicted peak flood levels.
Secret water buyback deal slammed: NSW Farmers
The state’s peak farming group has slammed secret water buyback plans that will hurt rural communities in NSW. On Friday afternoon The Land revealed state water ministers had agreed to almost 50 gigalitres of water buybacks at last month’s Ministerial Council meeting, with most of that water coming from NSW.
Undera update – the water recedes, the community hopes to future proof
Daryl Wiltshire from Undera reports that while the floodwaters are receding, the community is waiting and hoping that the rain that is forecast will not affect the region too much. Undera people are "hoping for a show of resolve from the authorities who control levees to future flood proof the farming area."
Governments urged to withdraw from Basin Plan
UGRCA. The Victorian and NSW Governments need to withdraw from the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, according to an advocacy group. Upper Goulburn River Catchment Management Association representative, Jan Beer, says there appears no other option, with zero appetite from the Albanese Government to listen to and understand the implications of its Basin Plan proposals. Mrs Beer said it has become impossible to reason with new federal Water Minister, Tanya Plibersek, so it will be left up to the respective state governments to protect their communities.
Highs and lows
The Murray River at Koondrook-Barham is on the decline after a week of extreme height forecasts and even an evacuation scare for the Koondrook Primary School. Despite the river being on decline and steady flows through Torrumbarry, the BoM issued a flood warning of 6.3m on Wednesday, November 2 for Koondrook-Barham ... The move caused a flurry of activity on both sides of the river ... Many wondered how the 6.3m forecast came about; was it a rounding up of the one decimal place used by the BoM?
District flood impacts
Ben Evans settled on his 2,600-acre Mellool farm just two months ago ... His entire property, bar six acres, is underwater ... Daniel Monk, has never seen floodwater inundate the area as widely or as quickly ... Marcus and his wife, Bree, have 90 per cent of their 4,000ha farm inundated at Mallan ... “I have never seen so much water ever,” said Ken Spence.
