Alice Springs’ mighty dry Todd River flows for the second time in two months

THE dry, sandy bed of the Todd River was inundated following heavy rainfall on Friday evening

• ‘I don’t think it’s flooded like this in at least five years’: Ellery Creek overflows
• December 2020 the NT’s coldest in two decades, wettest in four years

THE Todd River in Alice Springs flowed for the second time in two months following a heavy downpour that began Friday evening.

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The Todd River flows after heavy rain

Good morning from Alice Springs - look at that Todd River flow 😍! pic.twitter.com/vu4JO07nBS

— Chansey Paech MLA: Member for Gwoja (@chanseypaechMLA) February 12, 2021

The Bond Springs Turnoff recorded 45mm of rain, while Wigley Gorge had 44mm.

Both of these sites are located within the Todd River’s catchment area.

Within the town itself, Schwarz Crescent recorded 32mm of rainfall.

The Todd River is flowing for the second time in 2020! pic.twitter.com/RqTLDcfmIJ

— Emma Delahunty (@emmadelahunty_) March 4, 2020

There was some debate among talkback callers and texters on ABC Radio on Monday as to whether what was seen at the weekend actually constituted a “flow” as opposed to a “trickle”.

Images and videos taken by punters early Saturday morning appear to show a healthy, if not torrential, flow.

The Todd River is flowing through the Alice!!💧

📸Nick Oliver/via ABC Alice Springs FB pic.twitter.com/Qz505rhzoV

— Matt Brann (@MattBrannRURAL) February 12, 2021

By Saturday afternoon, however, much of that had been reduced to large puddles in the riverbed — great news for the town’s dogs who love the play fetch in the shallows.

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The Todd last flowed just before Christmas 2020, during an atypically wet December when total rainfall at Alice Springs Airport hit 86.6mm, which represented a 224 per cent increase on the long-term average of 38.7mm.