QueenslandQueenslandthethe Smart Smart State State

How to use this guide: Catchment Flood Rules of Thumb This guide has used the best information available at present. It is intended to help you assess what type of flood is likely to occur in your area and indicate what amount of feed you might expect. You may wish to record your own flooding guides on the map. You can add more value to this guide by participating in an MLA EDGEnetwork Grazing Land Management (GLM) training package. GLM training helps you identify land types and flood zones and to develop a grazing management plan for your property

Amount of rain needed Flood descriptions Estimated Summer Flood Pasture Growth in the Channel Country Floodplains.

Frequently flooded plains Occasionally flooded plains Swamps and depressions for flooding Flood type Description Land Hydrology Pasture growth Isolated Systems which supports: Flood type (C1) (C2) (C3) Widespread Widespread Rain 100 mm Localised Rain “HANDY” to flooded “GOOD” flood Then increases (kg DM/ha of useful feed) (kg DM/ha of useful feed) (kg DM/ha of useful feed) 95 “GOOD” flood Good Good floods are similar to handy floods, but cover a much higher C1, C3, C2 Flooded across most of 85 - 100% of to proportion of the floodplain (75% or more) and grow more feed per floodplains potential cattle Good 1200-2500 1500-3500 4500-8000 90 area than a handy flood. 80-100% inundation numbers

85 IF in 24-72 hrs Handy Handy floods occur when the water escapes from the gutters, C1, C3 Pushing out of gutters across 45 - 85% of Handy 750-1500 100-250 3500-6500

80 PRIOR, rains of (or useful) connecting up to form the large sheets of water. It can cover up to floodplain and into swamps and potential cattle Gutter 400-1200 No growth 2000-4500 less than 50% of the floodplain. There is a large pasture response from these depressions numbers These are based on flood 75 Isolated Rain floods but yield and area is less than a good flood. 50-60% inundated height and flooding of 50mm fall Channel 250-750 No growth 1200-2500 70 infrastructure Together = Gutter Gutter floods occur when the water escapes from the main channels C1 Pushing out of channels into 5 - 25% of 65 and spills over to the many small waterways (gutters) that flow from gutters potential cattle “GUTTER” 60 PLUS the main channels. These floods promote growth of a good body of 5-15% inundated numbers Flood Definitions flood herbage and grasses along the gutters. “How Often” are FLOOD rains received? “How Often” are FLOOD rains received? 55 Proportion (%) of years that rainfall in 24 hrs is at least Proportion (%) of years that rainfall in 24 hrs is at least BoM Channel Country 50 Widespread Rain Channel The major channels run and water just spills over banks but does not C1, limited to Major channels breaking banks 5 - 15% of escape to the surrounding floodplain. Limited feed grows along channel <5% inundated potential cattle 100 mm 75 mm Location 100 mm 75 mm Location 45 Major Good margins of major channels. margins numbers 19 42 9 37 Prairie 40 Handy 16 28 Aramac 15 39 Torrens Creek 35 What are the Channel Country floodplain land types ? Park 7 20 Lake Galilee Moderate Gutter 30 12 30 Minor Channel C1: Frequently flooded alluvial plains with braided channels, often with deep and fast flowing water in major channels. 1 7 Tangorin 25 Amounts of rain do not by themselves C2: Occasionally flooded, flat alluvial plains , generally with shallow and slow flowing water. This land zone is usually the furthest 20 determine the Channel Country type of David P helps from the major channels, but includes higher areas of floodplains. These are based on land 15 flood. The Thomson River catchment has large areas C3: Poorly drained swamps and depressions on alluvial plains of intermittent flooding, with variable water speed and depth, types, pasture growth and 10 rainfall of Amount Other important factors that modify the type of of heavy Mitchell grass downs which need a lot of percent of potential cattle flood are duration and time of year. generally associated with the outer lying channels. rain to run enough water for a flood numbers that could be carried 5

Floods recorded in the Cooper “How Often” are FLOOD rains received? Year Flood type Flood events in the Cooper between 1882 and 2006 1882 Handy Proportion (%) of years that rainfall in 24 hrs is at least 1885 Handy (estimated from historical flood records from ) Legend 1887 Handy 100 mm 75 mm Location 1890 Good 17 Good floods 7 Channel floods 1892 Handy 14 36 Longreach The top part of the catchment is the . There is a lot of sandy spinifex 1893 Good (once every 7 years) (once every 18 years) Localities 1894 Handy and rocky outcrop country which only needs a few inches (>50 mm) of rain 1898 Good 0 5 Tocal 1903 Gutter to run water. Eight to ten inches of rain (200mm - 250mm) up there will produce a flood 1906 Good 5 16 Stonehenge © Paul Jones at Stonehenge. © David P helps Three-way split 1907 Good 1908 Handy 1910 Handy Lake Buchanan (above) and 1911 Gutter 18 Gutter floods River height guages 1913 Gutter The Longreach river height guaging station does not record all water in the upper catchment. There is a lot of hard country Lake Dunn (below) are ephemeral 1917 Handy (once every 7 years) lakes which rarely contribute water 1918 Handy I- that drains south-east from Winton into the Darr River, Vergemont Creek and others and then into the Thomson 1920 Handy ed to what is measured at Longreach to the Cooper system ^_ BoMQ (Qld) 1921 Gutter downstream of Longreach. These probably contribute about 30% extra flow compar 1922 Good 1923 Handy TORRENS CREEK 1924 Handy ^_ DWLBC (SA) 1925 Channel Start watching for a flood with reports of 2 - 4 inches (50 - 100 mm) generalised rain around Muttaburra, Torrens Creek 1928 Channel PRAIRIE 1930 Channel r and Aramac #* 1931 Gutter NRM&W (Qld) 1932 Gutter © Paul Jones 1933 Handy 1934 Handy Watercourses 1935 Channel 1936 Handy 38 Handy floods on average, there is a flood 1937 Gutter (once every 3 years) every 1.6 years in the Cooper 1938 Gutter The Dry Main rivers 1940 Good A L Swamp I 1941 Good EK B C E L E R A C B 1943 Gutter C C R A E K E N S F N E T R K 1944 Good E A Y © David Phelps E L T C L I Important creeks 1945 Gutter M O VE R It is useful to track the flood progress W E

1946 Handy C C E “How Often” are FLOOD rains received? K WHITEWOOD R R K E E K E 1949 Handy I- E E E from Muttaburra onwards K E E K Cauckingburra Swamp 1950 Good Proportion (%) of years that rainfall in 24 hrs is at least R R B C C U

OOD C A R L Other creeks 1951 Good ROCKW R EEK L S R O E E C Lake Buchanan 1953 Handy R K 100 mm 75 mm Location P K E R AIRI C 1954 Handy David Phelps H E CR R EK T EEK E E LUBRA E R 1955 Good CR K C 6 14 Opalton T EE R K O K P

1956 Handy W E E Waterbodies The 2006 flood at Longreach was moderate in size, E 1957 Handy TAN GORIN R 11 25 Morella R C H S 1961 Handy I L N peaking at 16.4 feet (5 m), partly covering the 16 km L E R 1963 Good C R

Maneroo R 2 4 O T 1964 Run wide floodplains. A handy flood resulted in the Cooper E lake E 1966 Handy LE C K ORNVIL R EEK 1967 Handy TH 1968 Handy 1969 Run flood plains 1970 Gutter Vergemont & Creeks & the Darr River can contribute a lot of water to the Thomson. The Thomson can bottleneck at Stonehenge, this causes CU 1971 Good LLO I- DEN CREEK 1972 Handy water to back up and spread out further L © Bob Young A

1973 Handy N swamp D K 1974 Good S E B E 1975 Run O R EK R C E O R R C 1976 Handy U T G E 8-10 inches (100-150mm) of rain at Stonehenge will produce a small, fast flood (a 'splash flood') which covers the high country first but runs out H L If the water is over the old bridge at Longreach, 1000 H O 1977 Handy BA C B Elevation (m) N S GA R R LL A CRE E E and backed up to Muttaburra, then stock L D 1978 Channel of steam by the bottom end of Tanbar E E N K K S U r H 1979 Handy T Lake Galilee movements need to be planned 700 1980 Gutter K 1981 Gutter EE CORNIS H CR *# 500 1982 Channel A quick 2 inches (50 mm) of rain will run Vergemont Creek. At first it runs red but with big rains it will run clear. The Vergemont area has tighter W RE R “How Often” are FLOOD rains received? 1983 Gutter ES TERN C EK E K E 1984 Handy MUTTABURRA E D alluvial soils and grows good grass cover with some herbage. The Thomson area nearby mainly grows herbage. E Y CR Lake Dunn 300 r ^_ R E E K Proportion (%) of years that rainfall in 24 hrs is at least 1985 Channel C E Y D D 1986 Handy IE 200 N

A C 100 mm 75 mm Location 1989 Handy BRADLEY CRE S R E E 100 K E 1990 Good K RID K E ER L CREEK If 6 - 8 inches (150 - 200 mm) fall during the afternoon and into the night, the Vergemont would be 3 miles L 13 37 Barcaldine 1991 Handy Y C 1996 Gutter R r (4.8 km) wide but would drop off unless there is more rain, then it might last 5 - 6 days E 1997 Handy E 12 37 Jericho K 1999 Handy M A 2000 Good N E R ARAMAC CREEK ARAMAC 2001 Gutter O MORELLA CAMOOLA O ^_ 2002 Gutter Normally floods take about 4 days to come from Longreach C R E 2003 Gutter E ^_ ù to Rosabel. It usually takes another couple of days for the K General Information 2004 Handy R O 2006 Handy D flood to then get to Bogewong. It takes about a day for N E Y I- “How Often” are FLOOD rains received? C flows to get from Bogewong to Noonbah R E OPALTON *# ATTLE CRE E C EK K K Proportion (%) of years that rainfall in 24 hrs is at least A T H VE R B E RI R R UT R R US I A 100 mm 75 mm Location In the Bogewong to Noonbah stretch of the river it takes N D CR E EEK Flood height information C MANEROO R S about a 10 to 12 foot (3 to 3.6 m) flood for it to spill out E A r E LT 16 26 Yalleroi E RN CREEK K *# of the channels and across the floodplains. ^_^_ LONGREACH r ILFRACOMBE 15 38 Blackall B LA CK BARCALDINE GI N CR E E K ^_ JERICHO 7 25 Tambo A © Gary Muhling R ^_ C A ^_ The Thomson has a fairly steep gradient from H C R E H ARRILALAH VE Flood speed information R E ^_ RI *# C R IC E ù O AL R Longreach to Stonehenge and flows can take J E N O E C TRIC ^_ A useful flood reference point is the old bridge at K F PA K R O C ù R R D U E anywhere from only 2 days or up to 5 days to E E A R K C E L RE N A EK K M Longreach. Local radio programs often announce TR C N IL K E E M R C E D E travel that distance. LT K BR E C A E A CREE U E R R M K when the old bridge goes under. This happens E Y R BY E H R C C G E K O UL David Phelps IV R M LY The best floods in the Cooper come when both Y TOCAL E E R E R

K E when the river level reaches about 7 foot (2.2 m) N A C O V ^_ D R I- S O M N E the Thomson and the Barcoo hit at the same time Creek and river junctions like the Gin or Vergemont All the streams that drain to the south-east away HO U E R T O K A B C R I- E & the Thomson can hold up the main flow if the E from Winton drain steep and rocky country. K YAL LE RO I V ^_ K

Floods normally take 14 days to flow from Longreach to Windor ah. E E R Cooper Creek (Qld) E smaller creeks come in first. This backs up the They contribute a lot of flow to the Thomson River G R A flood peak only takes about 3 days from Jundah to Windorah E C K ù M E E O S E The Barcoo runs faster than the Thomson main flood and spreads it out further N M R R but their floods are short lived T OO O C N C D H L A D THO R L R A I- C I NLEIG E R ISISFORD H M EK EE W C K R IS ^_ EE D ^_ K Where floods occur in succession the second flood The flood needs to be 9 foot (2.7 m) RBRECCAN C WA REEK STONEHENGE B # U I- at Windorah to flow west over the *^_ L A big flood in the Barcoo is 16 foot (4.9 m) will travel more slowly due to vegetation grown from r LOC K C R BLACKALL R A E E V the first flood. The second flood will often flow clearer, 'hump' in the town channel K E ^_ at the Isisford bridge, a major flood is T N *# ^_ A S ^_ r LU B N O EK because of the vegetation filtering more sediment out C D U TWEL E 20 foot (6.1 m) IL R VE CR AR LY MI LE N EL CR E E LA EK ^_ EEK P R and slowing water flow C E C ^_ S R M C E B R D A E E A W R E E K LE B KH Y E M BIR ER Y AC A K C K FA R E C R EMMET RLAN RE R REEK E E C CO C E K C E RE O W E C K B IND IL O E RI EY The creek lines in the lower Cooper area have The western water will flow back into S K T O K V E S S E R O BO R R C F E R EEK I- WU E changed and there is a lot more vegetation in r the main channel when the water RIN CR GLE K E E C E K RE JUNDAH E EK R them than there was 40 years ago drops below 9 foot (2.7 m) - localised C ^_ H K A TAM BO E L A big flood in the Barcoo can push the K E O around the 3-way split E ^_ R David Phelps © John Rickertt O E C R G I- R E A K IL E Thomson water to the west C O P M ^_ CR E Water in the main channel of the Cooper is fast moving. R T O E H W Z O IG I- North of Windorah looking south at the town channel Looking west along the three-way split T E Local rain will make a flood travel faster D E E P C REEK Water in the Barcoo runs fast but slows down Welford NP R E EK C OON I- K D EE and spreads out on the eastern side of the The western side of the Cooper is very slow to move and flood out - it takes about 3 weeks for the water to get R RETREAT C H ù JA General Catchment Area ^_ A Cooper at Windorah from the 3-way split (just below Windorah) to Towans waterhole (on South Galway) O R CO Currareva W A Mostly isolated or local flooding D K E C E R E E R E Ourdel C K ^_ G WINDORAH K I N REE T DA C T “How Often” are FLOOD rains received? N U Hammond Downs U N T H K General Flood Plains E Proportion (%) of years that rainfall in 24 hrs is at least E P R O WELL C EK RE 100 mm 75 mm Location O C extensive flooding including isolated or localised flooding in some areas HIL WIC SOUTH GALWAY K Y A 3 14 Isisford B R K A E

C E You need the water to hold up at a decent (guage) height for a Of the Floodplains immediately south of Windorah: the eastern side needs a bigger Lake Cuddapan R R 14 34 Yaraka C E SpringfieldE A I- K R good flood. This helps water more country and grow more feed. I- flood to get across the floodplain there because of the deeper channels, compared B TANBAR A 9 19 Retreat Y K to the western side. The eastern side of the floodplain only stays flooded for about S If the eastern side of the Cooper gets TATIO N CRE Little floods make big floods. EK half as long as the western side from the same flood at Windorah K I- going first, i.e. flooding in the Kyabra EE I- L R The little floods fill up the waterholes and wet the catchment and E C David Phelps N N A and Keeroongooloo Creek systems, theThomson and Barcoo water N O A Keeroongooloo C A allow the next one to go further. H N C O “How Often” are USEFUL rains received? Y C will be held up. This will push the flood water further west and R EK R E Handy floods reach the beach on Mayfield E R D C Lake Barrolka L create a handy to good flood for Mayfield, South Galway and Tanbar N L Proportion (%) of years that rainfall in 24 hrs is at least U I H Can it flood during droughts? B N M R O O I- C 50 mm 25 mm Location W Yes. There were handy floods during the droughts of the Windorah Lake Yamma Water on the eastern side of the Cooper is relatively fast moving as 1920s and 1960s and the river still ran during the 2001-05 drought 42 89 Yamma B I- U NG channels are generally smaller and the plains are current swept; it IND 21 72 South Galway ERR Y CRE EK grows less feed as a result REEK LE C The biggest floods come when a monsoonal trough moves 31 80 Tanbar MIDD further south than usual, like during the big wet years of the 52 96 Durham Downs The 1963 flood was bigger than the 1974 flood for the eastern side 1940s, 1950s, 1970s and early 1990s I- EROMANGA of the Cooper EK CRE In 1950/51 there were big flows in the Cooper. This was the CU NNA VALLA I- first flow for 27 years past the sand hills, which blocked the ARRABURY ERRY C 18 foot (5.5 m) at Windorah equals 9 foot (2.7 m) at Durham Downs, NAB R David Phelps David Phelps K CO O EE channels upstream of Kopperamanna in the 1930s E W K E IN R D r and will give a good flood at Baryoola C U Y L R A A E C The Handy flood of 2004 inundated the DPI&F frequently flooded bluebush site on L R Lake Goyder E E K E T K Lake Apanburra N Durham Downs (left) but only just reached the occasionaly flooded plains site on O Lake StrangwaysSalt Marsh or Lake Sir Richard M Lake Pure G A flood of about 24 feet (7.3 m) for at least 3 weeks at Windorah Lake Wattiecarroonie IN Tanbar (right) DURHAM DOWNS N Lake Lady Blanche I R A will produce a 12 foot (3.6 m) flood at Durham Downs causeway, NA C EE P r Lake Toontoowaranie ^_ EE K AR A Lake Ooolgoopiarie W P A

and then a 24 foot (7.3 m) flood at the Innamincka causeway C

R

Lake Tooroopolinna Mitkacaldratillie Lakes E

E

Clifton Hills Coongie Lake K At Durham Downs causeway Basin Coori Coori Tillie Lakes r What happens during a good flood? E K RE NA C Lake Mckinlay Tirra varra Swamp OKE 8 foot (2.4 m) flood = 8 miles (12.9 km) wide, but only in channels (Channel Flood) Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) peak flood heights, durations and category

K for the 2000 flood: Andracunie Swamp E 9 foot (2.7 m) flood = 9 miles (14.5 km) wide, spilling out of channels (Gutter Flood)

E

R Boggy Lake C 10 foot (3.0 m) flood = 12 miles (19.3 km) wide Woolkawoolkina Lake M Cooper Creek Catchment U Thykamingana Swamp N flood G ^_ I 12 foot (3.6 m) flood = 12 miles (19.3 km) wide, but deeper (Handy Flood) Fly Lake ^_ L Location flood duration Lake Coogiecooginna Middle Swamp Lake AndreeLake Marrakoonamooka 15 feet 4.6 m) flood = 18 miles (29 km) wide (Good Flood) height (m) ^_ Lake Bulpanie INNAMINCKA Muttaburra 8.1 Major 20 February – 9 March 2000 Lake Perigundi For the Cooper to reach Lake Eyre, the flood needs to be 14 feet (4.3 m) for at least 3 months at the W NOCCUNDRA IL SON RIVE R ^_ r Camoola Park 7.4 Major 17 February – 13 March 2000 Poolbarra Swamp causeway near the Durham Downs house. Longreach 5.6 Major 15 February – 16 March 2000 Stonehenge 6.4 Major 16 February – 24 March 2000 ù Floods take approximately 3 weeks to flow from Windorah to Innamincka Jundah 7.9 Major 19 February – 26 March 2000 Mungerannie Novatunga Orientos A BoM Moderate to Major flood is needed to reach Alla Allanna Swamp Gidgealpa Blackall 1.8 Minor 17 February - 18 February 2000 I- Muttabulla Swamp Lake Warrakalanna Cooper Creek (SA) Isisford 3.1 Minor 16 February – 14 May 2000 Ooroowilanie Swamp Retreat 5.2 Major 21 February – 3 March 2000 Mulka D IN Floods usually take 3 months to flow from Naryiloo G Big Lake Moonba E R Windorah 7.4 Major 23 February – 26 March 2000 A C “How Often” are USEFUL rains received? ù K REE K Innamincka to Lake Eyre E Lake Hope or Pando E R Lake Puntawolona C Proportion (%) of years that rainfall in 24 hrs is at least Nappa Merrie 4.9 Major 30 March – 24 May 2000 I K C E L E 50 mm 25 mm Location Z R C CR E T O OPE R EK S Lake Murteree Lake Killamperpunna 23 68 Nappa Merrie Pigeon Lake 26 65 Innamincka Canegrass Swamp When do flood heights get reported? Lake Toolerinna Swamp Omicron Lake 17 65 Noccundra Ben Lynes BoM flood height levels for gauging stations in Cooper Creek Lake Kopperekoppinna Osman Swamp The Cooper needs to be 21 feet (6.4 m) over West Bore Lake Native sorghum pasture, Windorah May 2006 the causeway at Innamincka for 6 weeks to Little Haughton Swamp First Minor Moderate Major r Big Haughton Swamp Crossing flows into Lake Eyre. If it is 19 feet (5.8 m) there Station Report Flood Flood Flood Height will be a flow as far as the Track Height Level Level Level Muttaburra 3.0 4.0 (B) 3.0 5.0 7.0 The Cooper flood waters do not reach Lake Eyre very often; 'Dry Floods' are when the river floods from rain that falls r they only contribute about 15% of water into the Lake ù upstream only and there is no local rain. It usually takes Aramac 1.3 1.8 (B) 1.5 2.0 5.0 about 5 to 7 days for a 'dry flood' to travel from Jundah Camoola Park 1.0 0.4 (X) 2.0 4.0 6.7 to Windorah. A 'dry flood' takes about six weeks to go Longreach 1.0 2.2 (OB) 2.0 3.0 4.0 from Windorah to Innamincka Some major floods of the past Bogewong 0.3 3.1 (B) 2.0 4.0 6.0 BoM peak flood heights at gauging stations in the Cooper Creek system. David Phelps © John Rickertt Stonehenge 0.5 1.6 (A) 2.0 3.0 5.0 9 Gutters (or reticulate channels) help distribute Large and moderate sized channels distribute Native sorghum, pepper grass and bluebush Jundah 1.0 3.7 (A) 2.5 4.0 5.0 Mar Jan Apr Feb Feb Feb/Mar floodwaters out from the main channels the water during initial flooding pasture, Windorah circa 1947 Tambo 2.5 2.9 (B) 3.0 5.1 5.9 Gillespie 3.5 6.4 (B) 4.0 7.0 7.5 1971 1974 1990 1991 1997 2000 Duneira 1.0 1.4 (B) 2.0 3.0 3.5 8 1974 - the 'big one', high and of long duration Muttaburra 4.19 7.80 7.15 6.65 4.50 8.10 Blackall 1.0 2.8 (B) 2.0 4.0 5.0 Camoola Park 2.84 7.16 6.80 5.52 7.42 Glencoe 1.0 1.0 (X) 2.0 2.5 3.0

Longreach 1.97 5.47 5.04 4.38 3.60 5.62 Good flood level (7 m) Jericho 1.8 2.3 (B) 2.0 2.3 3.0 7 Bogewong 8.64 7.90 6.60 5.65 8.40 Barcaldine 2.0 5.6 (B) 3.0 5.0 6.0 Stonehenge 5.94 6.88 5.86 4.70 3.50 6.42 1990 - the best since '74 Isisford 2.0 4.0 (B) 4.0 5.0(d/s) 6.0(d/s) Jundah 7.54 8.38 7.55 6.48 4.95 7.85 Retreat 2.0 1.7 (C) 3.0 4.0 5.0 6 Blackall 7.30 6.15 © David Phelps © David Phelps Windorah 3.0 4.3 (A) 3.0 4.0 5.0 Isisford 6.83 9.20 4.25 8.05 Handy floods cover 50 - 60% of the floodplain Cow vine and other herbages often dominate Nappa Merrie 1.5 8.0 (B) 3.0 6.0 9.0 Retreat 12.05 6.55 9.45 2000 - a high flood, but all over within occasionally flooded plains following summer a month Handy flood level (5 m) floods in the Channel Country All heights are in metres on flood gauges. (B) = Bridge (OB) = Old bridge Windorah 7.65 8.48 7.95 6.70 5.87 7.45 5 (A) = Approaches (C) = Causeway (X) = Crossing (d/s) = Downstream Durham Downs 4.40 4.16 2.15 2.80 3.65 Good feed, such as that pictured above, is Karmona 5.38 4.29 4.05 (m) Height Guage made even better when local rains follow Gutter flood level (4 m) flooding. Rains alone grow little, if any, feed Nappa Merrie 5.91 10.13 9.38 3.20 2.51 5.10 4 because the heavy clay soils of the Channel Data sources: Country are so thirsty All heights are in metres on flood gauges. (Geoscience ) 2002, (C) Copyright Commonwealth of Australia. Channel flood level (3 m) Bureau of Meteorology (Qld) 3 1:1,500,000 Natural Resources and Water (Qld) © John Rickertt at AO size For more information, queries ¹ "How Often" - APSRU (DPI&F, NR&W, CSIRO, UQ) - data SILO (BoM, NR&W) Below minor floods do not break the banks or corrections, please contact Digital Terrain Model supplied by, e.g. the Cooper Creek bridge at Windorah 2 Longreach DPI&F Desert Channels . Text sourced from interviews conducted by the with a 7.2 feet (2.2 m) flood in 1996 - minor 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 Sustainable Grazing of the Channel Country Floodplains project team (07) 4658 4400 and flood level is 9.8 feet (3 m) Days since start of flooding ARIDFLO - report to the community, DWLBC,2004 Landsborough Highway, Longreach © Photographs used with permission from private collections The 1974 flood was the biggest on record for most of eastern Australia. In the Cooper Creek, 1990 and 2000 were other major, or good, floods. These graphs provide a useful comparison of the flood height and duration of these important floods at Windorah. Most of the major floods Map Authors: David Phelps, Ben Lynes, Kirsten Forrest, Peter Connelly & Darrell Horrocks September 2006 PO Box 519, Longreach, Qld 4730 Disclaimer: have resulted from monsoonal rain activity moving further south than usual and generally coincide with positive SOI years While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this data, DPI&F, Desert Channels Queensland, Geoscience Australia, Bureau of Meteorology, NR&W, CSIRO, UQ nor their representatives, make no representations or warranties about its accuracy, liability, incompleteness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaims all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability or negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which might be incurred as a result of the data being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason. This map is not to be sold or re-made as part of a commercial product.