Rivers run through NSW country towns after soaking rain downpour

A burst of desperately needed rain has given some dry NSW country towns some reprieve from the devastating drought, filling deep cracks in dry riverbeds. But despite the rain, 99 per cent of the state is still gripped by drought.

• The Great River Run: Murray Darling crisis
• Drought crisis: People flee bush to find work

The outback town of Tibooburra is celebrating showering in brown water rather than green.

The brown water is coloured by just good clean silt, courtesy of a burst of desperately needed rain at the beginning of the week.

Before the falls, they were forced to draw foul water from stagnant pools on the Darling River tainted by blooms of blue-green algae — the same type of which has killed millions of far western NSW fish — to shower.

The banks of the Darling River, the water source for the town of Louth, on March 1. Picture: Kathy Barnes

90mm of rain at Louth, an hour's drive west of Bourke, has brought the Darling River back to life. Picture: Kathy Barnes

The rain came in the nick of time for residents in “Corner Country” near the borders of NSW, Queensland and South Australia, who were also down to their last few days of tank drinking water.

“We had 10 days of drinking water left and a road train on standby to cart water from a bore 100km away,” Tibooburra resident Vicki Jackson said.

MORE ON THE GREAT RIVER RUN SERIES:

OUTBACK AT BREAKING POINT: WE FINISH WORK BEFORE 10AM

‘GREENS LIKELY TO DAMAGE RURAL ECONOMY THAN REVIVE DARLING RIVER’

Gauges around Tibooburra recorded rainfalls ranging between 32mm and 43mm rain on Monday and Tuesday, which more than doubled the town’s rainfall this year and filled tanks with more than two years’ worth of drinking water.

“Everyone’s been so depressed about the drought and to see so much water just lifts spirits like you wouldn’t believe,” Ms Jackson said.

The almost dry Darling River, between Bourke and Louth, pictured on March 20. Picture: Ben Davis

The rising level of the Darling River on April 23 following a decent rainfall. Picture: Leanne Davis

A band of rain moved south over the state’s far western reaches in the early hours of Sunday morning, tailing off on Wednesday as it moved east over Wagga Wagga.

A localised storm out the back o’ Bourke has brought the Darling River back to life and flushed away the dangerous levels of blue-green algae, which was making locals gag in the shower.

Shindy’s Inn publican Kathy Barnes had enough drinking water in her rain tanks to last two more weeks before Monday, when the pub was soaked with 89mm that replenished the tanks to last at least the next six months.

Her greatest relief has come from showering in brown, rather than green, water.

“There was a grungy green pothole in the Darling River at the base of the pub where we were getting our water from, that smelled rank when you heated it in the hot water service,” Ms Barnes said.

“Now the river is brown because the algae’s been flushed out and the water smells much nicer.”

The brown is just good, clean silt.

But there’s still no water in the Darling River at Wilcannia or upstream of Bourke — where the river ran dry eight months ago.

The rain hasn’t resurrected the Barwon River either, which has been bone dry at Walgett for the past nine months.

But the dregs of Tropical Cyclone Trevor that hit Queensland late last month have flowed across the border into far northwest NSW, where they’ve been topped up by the Easter rain.

The Warrego River is trickling towards Bourke, where it’s hoped it will flow into the Darling River.

The Paroo River in Wanaaring was dry for up to eight months. Picture: Ben Strong

The Paroo River in Wanaaring has started flowing for the first time in eight months. Picture: Ben Strong

Seven hours drive west, the Paroo River is also flowing again, although the water is unlikely to make it as far south as the Darling River at Wilcannia.

“Originally, it was considered unlikely that those flows would reach the Darling, but follow-up rain has raised hopes that some water may make its way to the Darling,” a WaterNSW spokesman said.

“But we’re not expecting much.”

Wanaaring Store and Caravan Park owner Ben Strong was standing in the middle of the cracked and dusty Paroo River when water appeared for the first time in eight months.

“We hadn’t seen water in so bloody long, it was just a thing of beauty,” Mr Strong said.

The difference between Sydney tap water and the tap water in Louth, NSW, earlier this year. Picture: Jenny Evans

A trickle of water first came down the Paroo River on Friday, which was followed by the town’s best rain event in two years that dumped 56mm.

“Before the rain everything was dead and now there’s a green tinge around the place,” he said.

Bourke grazier Callum Robinson, who has reduced his Merino sheep herd from 3000 to 300 to try to survive one of the worst droughts on record, lucked into 60mm on Monday.

The barren paddocks on Mr Robinson’s 28,000-hectare property have turned from deep red to a tinge of green, the trees he lops to feed his livestock have “had a good drink” and his empty dams are full again.

“But it doesn’t rain money. I’d need 25 to 50mm within the next few weeks for good pasture and it would take two to three months before the livestock put on enough (weight) to be saleable,” he said.

Despite the rain, 99 per cent of the state is still gripped by drought.