The vast ocean of water that fell on Queensland‘s south-west last month is now surging through the expansive network of desert rivers and creeks that define the Channel Country.
This water will journey thousands of kilometres before it ultimately reaches Australia’s lowest natural point, Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre.
While the lake hasn’t been completely dry in years, this significant influx of water is expected to fill it, a rare event that occurs only a few times a century, with the last instances recorded between 1999-2001 and during the historic flooding of 1974.
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In its wake, the receding water leaves behind hundreds of thousands of lost cattle and sheep, thousands of kilometres of damaged fencing and private roads, and ruined machinery.
“As the water recedes, people are returning to their homes and sheds to find deep, stinking mud covering everything. It’s almost incomprehensible how much destruction has occurred across this vast area,” said Dr. Jennifer Silcock, an ecologist at the University of Queensland.
“At this moment, most are just coping with the aftermath, and it’s truly devastating.”
In this harsh ‘boom and bust’ country, what is destructive will also be regenerative.
Within weeks, the bare floodplains will transform into lush, green gardens of native grasses, bustling with insects and birdlife.
“It’s an amazing renewal. What was once bare ground becomes a vibrant wildflower garden,” Silcock remarked.
‘Boom and Bust’ Country
The Channel Country is the last unregulated large river system in the world, and the community has fiercely protected it, resisting proposals for irrigation and mining.
“What exists in the Channel Country is unique and invaluable,” Silcock stated.
“Local residents, traditional owners, conservationists, and ecologists have united to preserve these rivers in their wild state because they represent an extraordinary ecological system, which is currently being showcased.”
In this region, cycles of flood and drought are natural occurrences.
“This flooding event is crucial for these communities and the pastoral industry, as they heavily rely on it,” she explained.
“The Channel Country is renowned for being some of the finest grazing land for cattle in Australia.
However, the speed and scale of the rainfall surprised many, as it exceeded predictions.”
She mentioned that with climate change, intense rainfall events may become more frequent and unpredictable.
“We are facing significant uncertainty due to unprecedented climate patterns, which is a reason forecasts may struggle to maintain accuracy, as they are based on historical data from the last century and beyond, and we are now in uncharted territory.”
When Will the Water Reach Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre?
Typically, floodwater from northern Queensland migrates slowly across the landscape, filling the intricate web of tributaries that nourish and swell the Diamantina and Georgina rivers and Cooper Creek, often taking months to reach the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre basin.
Much of this water evaporates before arrival.
“The water progresses very slowly as it must fill an extensive network of water holes within the river channels,” Silcock noted.
“In some areas, the floodplain spans over 50 kilometres in width.”
Once the water reaches the lake, there is no further flow, and the basin bursts into life.
“During the boom, the life out there is astonishing… everything is drawn to that water,” Silcock remarked.
Seeds that have lain dormant in the soil for up to a decade will germinate, leading to a proliferation of shrimp, fish, and insects, which in turn attracts vast flocks of migratory birds.
However, the water is shallow and evaporates rapidly in the scorching outback heat, returning the basin to a vast salt flat.
This time, the record-breaking rainfall in March followed five years of above-average precipitation, resulting in the muddy torrent of water moving south more swiftly than it would if the land were dry, with the basin already wet and flourishing.
“It has been relatively wet since around 2019, so some water has been flowing into Lake Eyre consistently over the past five years,” Silcock pointed out.
“However, filling Lake Eyre is an entirely different matter as it requires an immense volume of water.
“Given this volume of water, I anticipate it will fill more than it has in years and could retain water for a couple more years to come.”
For most Australians who have never visited the Channel Country, this is an extraordinary moment to witness it, she added.
“Once all the roads are repaired and accessible, it’ll be a remarkable opportunity to see the floodplains of the Cooper, Thompson, and Barcoo, further north near Longreach, and then south through the Cooper around Windorah and beyond to Innamincka, as all that land will be vibrant and teeming with life.”
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