All The Rivers Flood

Mid-October 2022. There are major floods in northern Victoria. Please be very cautious about riding at the moment – particularly in the vicinity of rivers.

For the latest information – see Vic Emergency site and app

The image above shows the scale of the northern area likely to be effected by river floods in the next weeks. This image is from a flood study scenario for areas north of Rochester and Shepparton. Areas further south, upstream along the Goulburn and Campapse Rvers, will be similar. They are just not included in this study scenario.

As a comparison, the two pics below show the same areas. The pic on left hand side is from the flood study, the pic on right hand side is a clip from the GABCY Network Interactive Map. If you open either pic, and flip back and forth, you will get a good idea of the sections of GABCY routes and amenities that are likely to be effected.

Why has this happened?

Higher than average (about 80 percentile level) rainfall in South Eastern Australia over August and September meant that every dam and weir was full or close to it, and the ground was saturated.

Further high falls in October (likely 4 to 5 times the October average in these catchments) had nowhere else to go but over the weirs and into the rivers downstream. Those rivers also filled and eventually overflowed onto flood plains.

Many GABCY Network routes are on low-lying flood plains because those are the only areas of bush that remain available as public land. The land on higher areas around rivers was always settled first and is private property.

GABCY routes near the rivers on the eastern, northern and western perimeters of the GABCY Network area will be severely impacted by these floods. Firstly routes will be inundated, and then some areas of track, path and road will be damaged and washed away by fast-flowing flood waters. When the water recedes the routes will be covered in debris.

At this stage there isn’t anything else to say except be very cautious, and allow emergency responders space to do their thing. Things will become clearer once the water recedes.

It may take weeks for all the water to recede back into the rivers. All the water has to flow downstream into the Murray. But the Murray is already full and there are other flooded rivers from NSW and Western Victoria flowing into the Murray further downstream. Rivers might slow and backup; this will all take some time to clear.

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