Murray River Flooding in South Australia in 2022
Floods in the Murray River, 2022
South Australia’s Murray River is currently experiencing a beautiful, natural flood, with water spilling out of the main channel onto the floodplains, and flowing into creeks and billabongs that are often dry. This is great news for a healthy, strong and sustainable environment. Water on the floodplains is vital for the breeding of some species of our native fish. Currently the river system is abounding in frog calls and nesting birds. When the water recedes, we’ll see a mass germination of plants and trees.
Currently ( 4/11/22) the flow into South Australia at the border is 87GL/day. We’re expecting a peak of 135GL/day in early December and flows remaining around 100GL/day throughout December and January.
Why isn’t flooding here a problem, the way it is upstream?
Our floodplains are a broad river valley, dotted with claypans, sandhills, redgums and blackbox trees, and a host of other low-laying plants and shrubs, with plenty of room to fill with water. Wisely, in South Australia, there is very little built on the floodplains, as flooding is a known risk. Access roads are well above flood level, meaning the Riverland is open, and keen to host visitors. The northern end of the Berri to Loxton road may become an exception to this. This video from a week ago, by Amy Outdoors gives a good look at current conditions near Berri.
We have the benefit of considerable advance warning of floods, so there’s plenty of time to prepare. This means that the high water event in Riverland will be a superb treat, without the unpredictability of flash flooding that we’ve seen recently in Victoria and NSW.
Is it safe to visit the Riverland?
Most Riverland attractions and accommodations are still open for business, so we highly recommend a visit. Visit Riverland will give you all the information you need to plan your trip.
Of course, with the main river channel flowing strongly, you’ll need to take care: certainly, don’t go on or in the water in any way without a life-jacket. We don’t recommend swimming, nor charging upstream in a powered boat, due to the possibility of large debris being carried strongly in the opposite direction.
Is "Canoe Adventures - Riverland" still operating?
We are carefully monitoring the conditions in different locations in the Riverland. Much of the water on the floodplains is flowing slowly, and they are great places to explore by kayak, but it is important to know that where you’re going is safe. We strongly discourage novices from going out without knowledge of flow conditions specific to their location. We are still open for hire and tours, with care given to where we operate.
As the water levels continue to rise, we'll continue to evaluate, and keep you posted.
Where can I get information on flooding in the Riverland?
The SA Government has a very detailed page of information on River Murray high flows 2022 and tourism specific information is available at https://www.visitriverland.com.au/high-river-flows
