Streamflows - January 2011
Already saturated ground from rainfall in previous months, coupled with exceptionally heavy and intense rainfall in mid-January, resulted in major flooding of Victorian river catchments in the Murray Darling Basin. There was particularly high rainfall across the upper catchments of the Campaspe, Loddon, Avoca and Wimmera Rivers, resulting in severe flooding for towns such as Horsham, Warracknabeal, Charlton, Kerang, and Rochester.
Two of the 28 representative stations were washed away during flooding on the Wimmera River, therefore estimates have been made for both of these stations. While mid-month flows would have been much higher, 22 stations recorded flows well above 100% of the January average at the end of the month. Such high streamflows are unusual for western Victoria during January.
The Snowy, Mitchell and Moe Rivers recorded flows between 80 and 99% of the average. However, far East Gippsland still displays drought conditions due to below average rainfall in January.
At the end of the month, flow at all stations was higher than the historical minimum for January, and higher than the 2006/07 January drought flow.
In this section
The following are graphs for the 28 streamflow gauging stations, showing long-term average daily streamflow, recorded minimum streamflow, streamflow in the 2006/07 drought and current daily streamflow.
- Glenelg/Wimmera (Glenelg Hopkins catchment, Wimmera catchment)
- Northern Victoria (North Central catchment, Goulburn Broken catchment, North East catchment
- South Central Victoria (Port Phillip catchment, Corangamite catchment)
- Gippsland (West Gippsland catchment, East Gippsland catchment)