FLOOD INFORMATION FOR JERRABOMBERRA CREEK OVERVIEW
Jerrabomberra Creek is one of eight main water catchments in the ACT. Catchments are areas, usually bounded by hills, where the rain drains into the soil and streams and feeds into a river, creek or drainage line. In Canberra’s past, many natural waterways were converted into the familiar concrete storm drain channels as new areas of the city were developed.
From its origins in NSW, between Williamsdale and Royalla, Jerrabomberra Creek flows northwards into the ACT and continues through the southern suburbs of Canberra before flowing into Lake Burley Griffin north of Narrabunda. The catchment covers approximately 127 square kilometres and spans approximately 35 kilometres north–south and 9 kilometres east–west.
The catchment has a mixture of rural and urban residential developments and agricultural grazing land both in NSW and the ACT. However, land use within the Jerrabomberra Creek catchment is changing, with residential development recently proposed in NSW and industrial development in the ACT.
This information sheet outlines information about past and potential flooding for the Ginninderra Creek Catchment and what is being done to mitigate the risk of flooding. The risk of flooding in Canberra is low.
JERRABOMBERRA CREEK CATCHMENT
JERRABOMBERRA CREEK FLOOD MAP DECEMBER 2018 NSW
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G A M U how water flows. This is critical during storms that may lead to T B A
D R flooding. The ACT Government has re-assessed predicted flood I V
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Flood maps have been developed for each catchment and reviewed by
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which could be affected by flooding from waterways in Canberra during a major
flood event, known as a 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) flood. This
D R V E A R I means that in any given year there is a 1% chance of this type of flood occurring. K D E N F O L O L R H T D A See the maps and accompanying information at the ACT Government’s ACTmapi D R I V E website: www.actmapi.act.gov.au. ACT HINDMARSH DRIVE RETARDING BASIN NSW FLOOD HISTORY E V I R D E R I N D A L E The Jerrabomberra Creek catchment has not experienced significant flooding during the last ten years. The most recent flood occurred in 2007.
V E R I The large rainfall containment basin formed by Hindmarsh Drive helps to D A L L E B manage peak flood flows; these are now approximately half what would have A S I been experienced prior to the basin’s construction. This has contributed to the low frequency of significant flooding in this catchment. The catchment also contains a number of constructed wetlands, which alleviate the effect of heavy rainfall to some extent.
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FIND OUT MORE
→→ For flood maps for this catchment please visit www.actmapi.act.gov.au
→→ For more information about riverine flooding in Canberra, please visit http://www. environment.act.gov.au/water/ riverine-flood-maps →→ For information including flood forecasts, road closures FLOOD MAPS AND AFFECTED AREAS and advice on evacuation and property protection, please visit The new flood maps specifically focus on a potential 1% AEP flood on existing the ACT Emergency Services waterways. As explained, there is a 1% chance that such a flood will occur in any website at www.esa.act.gov.au. given year. The maps show the predicted extent, depth and hazard potential of a 1% AEP flood event. Any 1% AEP flood event is likely to be contained by →→ For specific information relating to the creek, culverts and bridges in this catchment, with only limited flooding of what to do during a flood event or surrounding areas. If flooding does occur outside of the channels, flood depths preparing your house for a flood are expected to be shallow and mainly in unoccupied, open areas. However, the event please call the local ACT maps show that in some places the speed of water flow during a flood would be SES on 13 22 81. high, creating potentially hazardous conditions.
Jerrabomberra is a relatively small catchment with minimal development along most of its length. For the 1% AEP flood event, there is the potential of flooding LANYON DRIVE CULVERT along some sections of the Monaro Highway near Hume and the floodplain adjacent to Jerrabomberra Creek.
Please refer to the flood extent map for Jerrabomberra Creek on ACTmapi for the specific details of potential riverine flooding in this catchment.
MITIGATION WORKS Within the ACT, the Hindmarsh Drive embankment provides an effective holding basin for flood waters.
Under the Territory Plan, the Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) code outlines planning rules for reducing the impact of stormwater through the management of water quality and quantity.
The rules are designed so that run-off created by new development does not have an adverse impact on stormwater systems or downstream environments.
JERRABOMBERRA CREEK CATCHMENT