Australian rivers

[paddlesteamerman1]

Martin,
Thanks, but I will be in SA in the next couple of weeks.. Thanks anyway

Sean,
Thanks for all that info.. and it is great to hear about the Murray (Luckily I don't read the Herald Sun - but I read mostly The Age).. and what I heard was a quick snippet on the radio..
I wish I had gone on the camp.. it does sound fun..

[lner]

Government Map Shop at the top of Richmond Road Keswick.  (Just next to the entrance to the railway terminal is the place.

[RDUNC]

Are we talking about "The River boat Trail"..
We are taking a week or so to go looking at "boats" along the river starting next week, we could probably pick up a copy for you along the way.

[paddlesteamerman1]

If it is the "River Boat Trail" I do actually have a copy of that which I purchased from the Mannum Info Center (PS Marion access point).. thanks

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's..... :ohno...just released in Australian news today.... :sob the water level in our Murray river here in Mannum ...which is approx 80 km to the Murray mouth is confirmed as below sea level & this is the first time since records were kept which was around the 1829/30  period when Captain Charles Stuart started surveying the rivers   .....but we people from OZ are tough :yeah ...we will survive

[paddlesteamerman1]

gee.. thats shocking (literally shockin) because I was over in Mannum not that long ago and it was low - but i didnt think it was that low.
If it is below sea level how does the river flow "up" to sea level at Goolwa? or is there no flow?

[stephenf10]

I believe that, at the Goolwa barrages, the water is higher on the sea side than on the river side. As the barrages are not completely watertight there is a seepage of salt water into the river which is increasing the salinity of the lower Murray and lakes (no wonder the Oscar W people are not too keen to get up steam!).

Anyway, I'll be down there later this week to see for myself.

Stephen.

[Roderick Smith]

There is a very nice schematic map of Murray levels, of the style found in primary-school classrooms.
I can't find a copy on the web fast.
The only relevant figure which I can find is that the average fall over the last 160 km to the sea is 2.5 cm/km, ie 4 m in 160 km.
Before the locks and weirs were built, salinity reached to somewhere above Swan Reach, and dolphins (or was it porpoises?) could be seen there.
As at March, I heard conflicting rumours:
* Goolwa lock would be opened only at low tide (to prevent ingestion of salt water).
* Goolwa lock wouldn't be opened at all.

Tauwitchere lock was chained out of use (it is a do-it-yourself, for small boats).  That would also have been to prevent salt ingestion (and the approaches were bare).

According to Murray River pilot, pool level from Goolwa to lock 1 is 75 cm; presumably the quote has come from the river level dropping by 75 cm.

According to a September release, shown as part of the comprehensive www.mdbc.gov.au site, the lower level was likely to drop to -0.6 m before the year was ending.  However, this is measure according to a standard datum, and I am not sure what that datum is: mean sea level, an an all-year average, and on a whole-nation average?  Even if it relates to the sea level at Goolwa, if the tidal range is greater than this, there will be times of day when the river is above the tide, and times when it is below the tide.

The latest weekly report states that the level in the lower lakes is 0.1 m above the datum, which is the lowest level since April 1968.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[lner]

gee.. thats shocking (literally shockin) because I was over in Mannum not that long ago and it was low - but i didnt think it was that low.
If it is below sea level how does the river flow "up" to sea level at Goolwa? or is there no flow?

We have a shack about 20km upstream from Mannum and the flow has been minimal for at least six months with the water level continually dropping...... but below sea level?  That is just depressing!

[Roderick Smith]

I have just been to www.mdbc.gov.au, and couldn't find the latest flow figures in SA below Lake Victoria.  Likewise, there is no mention of the planned closure dates of various locks this year, for major maintenance (I have heard times of 15 weeks per lock).
I did mention depths in my report of Jessie II's most recent cruise, Tocumwal - Yarrawonga.  This was showing as 80 cm on the webpage, and I was above 80 cm for most of the time.  The problem was snags, not lack of water.  At times, to avoid snags, I was running into 30 cm depths by leaving the channel.  I was following a boat which needed 100 cm for the props; 60 cm for the hull.  It was running with the motors trolled to 60 cm, and bounced over seval snags (so did I, with my motors needing only 30 cm).  Low water is a worry, but Australian riverboat designs were optimised for low water; snags turn low water from tricky into impossible.  Where I cruised 2 weeks ago is now only 70 cm.  I am not cruising from Yarrawonga to Albury this week: no information on depths or snags, but mainly because I would be too slow to keep up with the boat which I am trying to photograph.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Eddy Matthews]

I'm beginning to wonder if the world has flipped on it's head?

Australia is experiencing drought conditions, with some rivers which are at their lowest level for decades, whilst here in England we've had torrential rain for the last two years (not all the time, but it seems like it!) with more flooding than we've ever seen before....

We've got trans-atlantic telephone cables - Maybe what we really need is a trans-pacific pipeline to get some of our excess water down-under?

[thewharfonline]

Don't mention Pipeline's Eddy- there's proposed Pipeline's to run to Melbourne from up North from river that run off the Murray.

Tell me how a river that so far supposedly isn't supporting itself can support the city folk....

A few nice rain storms would be nice though- but feel free to keep your torrentials.

Sean

[Eddy Matthews]

Just think Sean - Apart from the cost of the pipeline it would be free water! As we're in the north, it's downhill all the way to Oz, so no pumping costs! 

[Peter Webster]

Eddy,
       I agree with Sean re the pipeline but your idea of free water would never happen, at least in Victoria. If the Government can make a buck out of it they will.
Peter W

[thewharfonline]

Why do you think you have to register to get a water tank! You're right, making a buck.

However, we are still a commonwealth so maybe mother england could supply us with some help.

It might not be too far out of the question.

Mind you Eddie there's a fair amount of water in the ocean that our governments also want to convert- but the people of Australia prefer to wait for rain at the moment.

No idea seems to be taking off with very successful results.

Sean