What’s happening?
Floodwaters are continuing to pour over the weir at Weir Park near Rockhampton, with locals stopping to take in the scale of the flow.
Long-time local and grazier Morty Wilson said the volume of water moving through the system is striking to see in person.
“It’s a huge amount of water going over the weir there at the moment, and it’s impressive to see,” Mr Wilson said.
Mr Wilson said he has seen the river at many stages over the years, from low flows to major rises, but the current volume stands out.
“It astounds me,” he said.
Manager’s son-in-law at Weir Park, Bobby Rowe, said this is the biggest run he has personally seen over the weir.
Why it matters
The rising water levels have prompted landholders across the region to act early to protect livestock.
Mr Wilson said many locals have already been shifting cattle away from low-lying country over the past week.
“A lot of cattle [have been] moved to higher ground in the last week or so,” he said.
He said family members living on the Rockhampton flood plain had also taken precautions.
“I’ve got family in Rockhampton itself on the flood plain there that have moved the cattle to higher country and got them out of the flood’s path,” Mr Wilson said.
Local impact
At Weir Park, cattle have also been moved in anticipation of further rises in water levels.
“Even locally here at Weir Park, they’ve moved them all up higher for the anticipation of the water coming,” Mr Wilson said.
Mr Rowe said the decision to move cattle early helps reduce stress on both animals and landholders.
“Just to be safe, it’s better to get them out early,” he said. “And yeah, he’s stress-free now.”
Mr Wilson said while floods can cause damage, they are part of life for people working the land.
“It’s a headache, but, you know, river country is good for a reason,” he said.
“It gets all that extra topsoil every flood. It’s good dirt, but it comes with its evils, like having to move cattle is a bit of a pain for everyone.”
By the numbers
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Water levels behind the weir were estimated to be about 18 metres at the time locals were on site, with floodwaters already flowing strongly through the system.
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Around six metres of water was pouring over the main spillway, showing the scale of the volume moving downstream.
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Locals believe water levels could rise further to between 21 and 22 metres as floodwaters continue to move through the catchment.
Zoom in
Mr Wilson said seeing the weir at this height highlights just how much water is moving through the system.
“You’re looking at about six metres going over the actual spillway there at the moment, over the main weir,” he said.
“Six metres, that’s a lot of volume.”
He said the scale is a sharp contrast to earlier years when the river was far lower.
“I know you’ve seen this when it was just a little creek before,” the interviewer said.
Zoom out
While Rockhampton has seen solid rain, Mr Wilson said the majority of the floodwater is coming from further upstream.
“We’ve had good rain locally here, but nothing compared to where this water’s coming from,” he said.
He pointed to heavy rainfall around Clarke Creek, Tartarus and Clermont.
“Clermont’s had huge rain and it all comes back through this catchment,” Mr Wilson said.
Mr Rowe said there are many factors influencing how the river behaves during major rain events.
“There’s a lot of factors in it,” he said. “But yeah, at this stage it’s looking pretty good.”
What to look for next?
Locals are watching closely as water levels are expected to rise further, with estimates suggesting the river could reach between 21 and 22 metres.
There is also uncertainty about how the river will behave through Rockhampton, with the possibility of more than one peak still unclear.
