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Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool CreekLessons Learnt from Past Floods

Graham Gordon

Griffith City Council

Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

Mirrool Creek• Catchment of

11,000 km2

• Starts 15 km west of Temora, extends west

and connects to the Lachlan

River• Covers a

distance of

approximately 250 km.

EMR

Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

Village of Yenda

June 1931

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Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

Griffith to Leeton Railway Line

June 1931

Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

Whitton Stock Route, Yenda

June 1931

Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

Supply Canal breach, Yenda

June 1931

Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

Northern Branch Canal breach, YendaJune 1931

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Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

East Mirrool Regulator, Yenda

June 1931

Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

Mirrool Creek Flooding, Yenda

June 1931

Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

• Flood gates were installed at the East

Mirrool Regulator (EMR) after the

1931 flood event.

• Decommissioning of the EMR flood

gates occurred in the early 1990’s.

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Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

Flood gates was installed at EMR but later it was

decommissioned may be due to draught?

Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

March 2012 Flood

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Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

Whitton Stock Route, Yenda

June 1931

Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

Whitton Stock Route, Yenda

June 1931

Whitton Stock Route, Yenda

March 2012

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EMR SiphonsFlood Gates

NBC Offtake

Main Supply Canal

Mirrool Creek U/S

EMR Siphons

Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

• Flood Study completed in 2014

• Floodplain Risk Management

Study & Plan completed in 2015

• No structural flood mitigation

measures put in place

Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

2016 Flood Events

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Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

2016 Flood Management Strategy

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Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

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Managing Flood Risk of Mirrool Creek – Lessons Learnt

from Past Floods

• Team work and shared responsibility of

Council, MI, SES and Community

• Yenda Village saved from flooding

• Positive feedback from the Community

Implementing Mitigation Measures

• Mirrool Creek Flood Warning System

• Mirrool Creek Flood Forecasting System

• Emergency Breaching Protocols

• Seeking Funding to reinstate the

decommissioned Flood Gates at the EMR

Thank You Questions?