River Murray properties at risk of flooding in SA
PROPERTIES along the River Murray in South Australia are at risk of flooding as river flows increase following recent heavy rains interstate, authorities say.
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PROPERTIES along the River Murray in South Australia are at risk of flooding as river flows increase following recent heavy rains interstate, authorities say.
The State Emergency Service has warned property owners between Cadell and Mannum to prepare their properties for minor flooding expected to come over the coming weeks.
Valuable items should be moved to a higher place while campers have been advised to set up on higher ground and avoid pitching tents on the river bank.
Areas likely to be affected by minor flooding include Morgan, Brenda Park, Scotts Creek, Walker Flat and Bowhill.
As the river rises and quickens, river-based activities like waterskiing may also become more hazardous with the risk of large debris getting carried downstream.
Murray flows into South Australia are expected to reach 60 gigalitres a day within the next three weeks and remain that high for several weeks to come.
It comes after heavy rain drenched large parts of SA, Victoria and NSW earlier this month as a strong storm cell passed across southern Australia.
South Australia also suffered flooding to the north of Adelaide and in the Adelaide Hills.
Flows into the River Murray are at their highest since 2012, providing much needed relief to the waterway, regenerating animal, plant and fish life and helping flush salinity out of the system.
The extra water is already causing minor flooding on the river’s lower reaches, causing houseboat owners to evacuate.
Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources manager of water resource operation, Jarrod Eaton said last month that in the first quarter of the year, flows had been “at near historic lows’’.
“These would be the best flows down the River Murray System since 2012,’’ he said. “It’s quite a remarkable turnaround compared to last year.’’
Riverland residents said the river was teeming with wildlife and water flows have reinvigorated the riverbanks.
River expert Tony Sharley, who runs the Murray River Walk tourism business, said it was exciting to see so much life back in the river.
“Most plans and animals have their breeding cyles geared to flooding. Fish will spawn in floods, yabbies will lay eggs in floods, vegetation will germinate,’’ he said.
Irrigators are also optimistic of winning increased allocations.
Renmark Irrigation Trust chairman Peter Duggin said this was “as good as it gets” for irrigators after an agonising opening water allocation of 36 per cent in July.
Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty trail reopens
Meanwhile, walkers can once again enjoy the Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty Summit trail, with the iconic trail reopening tomorrow.
Environment Minister Ian Hunter said the trail had been made safe for walkers, but more work was needed to restore it to its original glory.
The bottom section of the trail has been closed since mid-September, when floods caused erosion and rock falls.