Ten years ago the Wimmera felt more like tropical Queensland as humid and stormy conditions replaced the ‘dry’ heat typical of our summers. The prevailing La Nina conditions meant that atmospheric moisture levels were high and heavy downpours were a frequent occurrence. This culminated in record rainfall and flooding in January 2011 which impacted on much of the region – filling wetlands and lakes overnight and sending a massive pulse of floodwaters down the Wimmera River. Thankfully no lives were lost in this record flood, but unfortunately property and infrastructure suffered substantial damages.
In the Summer 2020 update for environmental water in the Wimmera, we take a look back at the floods, how they impacted our environment and what we've learnt for future planning.
