Lake Eyre fills up again

[Bird]

Time to plan your trips and get out there!

Recent rainfall in South Australia's far north has started to fill Kati-Thanda Lake Eyre, turning dry and dusty plains green with vegetation.

The Bureau of Meteorology has flood watch alerts in place for the north-east pastoral district, with a number of roads closed, including parts of the Birdsville and Strzelecki Tracks.

 Photo: The view of the floodwater from the plane. (Supplied: Trevor Wright)

Kalamurina has recorded 182.8 millimetres of rain, Mt Dare 63 millimetres and Oodnadatta 23.8 millimetres over the past few days.

The Birdsville Track from the South Australian border to Mungeranie, Mungeranie to Kalamurina, the Birdsville Inside Track, Marree to Muloorina, Strzelecki Track from Innamincka to Merty Merty, Mount Hopeless to Lyndhurst, Innamincka to Nappa Merrie and Cordillo Downs Road to Arrabury turn off to SA/Qld border tracks are closed due to rain.

Sections of the Oodnadatta Track, between Hamilton and Oodnadatta, Mt Dare and Hamilton, Oodnadatta and Coober Pedy, and William Creek and Marree are also closed to all vehicles.

William Creek pilot Trevor Wright said the rain had started to bring Lake Eyre to life.

"Lake Eyre is looking fantastic at the present time," he said.

"It's got a very good covering of water on it from that rain we had, that depression that came down from the Northern Territory.

"There are quite a few smaller creeks flowing into it on the east side and also from the Anna Creek side as well."

Mr Wright said it had been several years since he had seen so much greenery in the region.

"The whole area, it's not brown and red anymore, it's just green with saltbush and vegetation growing. Quite a lot of the clay pans and swamps are starting to fill up with water," he said.

"It's very unusual to see this amount of green at this time of year — it's usually burning."

The rain has been well received by pastoralists and has tourism operators hopeful for a busy season.

"It's starting to put some colour back into it for people who want to see something that's pretty unique in the middle of summer," Mr Wright said.

"It's a great chance, providing they take the right precautions, to come up and have a look around the area.

"Out in the Simpson Desert I would say over the next week or so the greening up of that will be incredible."

However, Mr Wright said the rain highlighted the need for improved telecommunications across the region, with search and rescue missions often hindered by failing satellite systems.

[doc evil]

That'll be a pain for the DLRA in Feb on lake Gairdner..........

[Julian Kaye]

  Sorry to be a wet blanket but the amount of rain that's fallen is a drop in the bucket. For Lake Eyre to start seriously filling it would need two or three big rain events in Western Qld over the next couple of months and it would not have any real impact until March/April at the earliest.

[rossm]

  Sorry to be a wet blanket but the amount of rain that's fallen is a drop in the bucket. For Lake Eyre to start seriously filling it would need two or three big rain events in Western Qld over the next couple of months and it would not have any real impact until March/April at the earliest.

I would guess most people who take more than a passing interest in Lake Eyre would know what is required for it to "fill"

Other people, like media types looking for a headline and some pretty pictures and video to attract attention and business operators looking to profit will talk it up at every available opportunity.

Here's hoping for some more rain. They certainly need it in Queensland and more water in the lake would be a bonus

[speewa158]

The rain in QLD  has a long way to go before it gets to the lake its self . No rush to get there as has been said  More water in Eyre will effect the climate I & weather in Southern Australia   

[rkl71]

To keep an eye on the water level in Lake Eyre try this site. http://www.lakeeyreyc.com/Status/latest.html#bottom