Barwon-Darling flows a blessing for all!

Persistent heavy rain across the river catchment has generated the best natural flow in the Barwon-Darling river system since the floods of 2016.

The big flow is filling weir pools and town water supplies and bringing widespread relief to landholders down the length of the Barwon-Darling River and its tributaries – rivers that have endured the most severe drought conditions experienced in regional NSW.

The big flow hit Bourke last Friday night and by Sunday the Bourke weir had been drowned out and was not visible as 10,000 megalitres per day flowed over the structure and down the Darling River that had been dry bone dry for months.

Up until today – Thursday the 27th February – over 60,000 megalitres had flowed over the Bourke weir heading downstream, unimpeded by irrigation diversions, towards Louth, Tilpa, Wilcannia and the Menindee Lakes.

Heavy storm events across wide areas of the Namoi and Gwydir valleys, plus further falls in the Condamine-Balonne, Moonie, Weir, Castlereagh and Macquarie Rivers have resulted in runoff that will guarantee good flows into the Menindee lakes, and down to Wentworth at the bottom of the Lower Darling River.

Read more in the printed edition of the Western Herald.