Barrier Daily Truth

Town bracing for flood

Thursday, 9th February, 2012

With record flows heading south from the floods in Queensland and northern NSW, police are appealing to Menindee residents to let them know if they intend to evacuate their homes.

More water is being released from the lakes at Menindee to make room for the massive inflows and flooding is expected in the township.

“Police ask that any family who relocates from their home in and around the flood-affected area please notify your local police station of this fact,” said BH police spokesman Detective Inspector Mick Stoltenberg yesterday.  

“This will help emergency services keep track of those who have already moved to 

higher ground and those who have chosen to stay behind and who could require  support or rescue.”

Water from the floods in Queensland at the cotton-growing township of St George and the northern NSW Gwydir and Namoi valleys is entering the Barwon River and more water will be released from Menindee Lakes to manage the forecast inflows.

Releases are at 20,000 megalitres per day (ML/d), up from 15,000ML/d at Weir 32.

This will be increased to 29,000ML/d (or some 50 centimetres higher) by early next week. 

This will affect access to the Pooncarie Road and some low-lying properties.

The water from the northern floods is predicted to enter the Darling River this month and next so releases from Menindee Lakes will have to be increased to at least those levels experienced in recent years.

The NSW Office of Water and State Water are monitoring the releases from the Menindee Lakes to the Lower Darling and Great Anabranch and they will issue bulletins throughout the course of the flood. 

However, at this stage, they said that residents and landowners should make preparations for releases of above 30,000ML/d for at least eight to 12 weeks.