Dam it all!
We went for a little sight-seeing expedition this morning.
The rain had almost stopped.
The creeks were starting to go down.
We needed to get out.
So we went for a drive…
About 15 km south…
To this place…
What are those people all looking at?
Every local who could get their four-wheel drive through, had driven to see this sight.
Peering over the edge of a chest-high chain mesh fence…
At something that hasn’t happened for almost 40 years…
Our dam wall being breached….
… by the thundering roar of water that had already flooded past our house in the days leading up to today.
It was amazing.
Mesmerising.
Loud.
Crashing to the left…
Smashing to the right…
…then roaring off, out of sight.
We all stood there for ages.
Drawn by the sheer beauty and force of the water thundering over the spillway.
The smooth expanse of ‘melted chocolate’ (Dash’s expression) sliding over the concrete curve of the long-dry wall and pounding into the flat floor of the structure, almost evaporating into mist as it hit.
The dam officially holds 146 ooo megalitres. There is a lot more than that currently sitting behind the dam wall, pushing forward inexorably to hurl itself over this relatively narrow area and rush eastward.
Today it was 2.6 metres over the height of the ‘full’ level.
There were some thrill-seekers in the group, but no-one even considered diving into that angry, beautiful, fat ribbon of brutal energy.
Some, like Violet, were just a little nervous of it all.
Dash looks worried, but was actually watching the progress of a huge stick as it was slowly sucked towards the top of the wall.
It was amazing to be there – the floods of Christmas 2010 will be talked about.
And we were there.
Our kids were there.
‘Cause out here, in this wide brown land, a flooding dam is not something we see every day.
We have watched this catchment facility go from 1% (when Mr Incredible and I moved to Granite Glen four years ago) to over 100% today.
My heart goes out to those who the floods have treated badly. So many have been inundated and have lost belongings, vehicles and livestock. We live in very hilly country where our cattle and horses have many places to escape the waters. Our house is well above the flood lines and with all the weather predictions of the modern age, I have been pretty well prepared for the few days we have been cut off from town. We are indeed the lucky ones.
I hope no-one minds if we revel a little in our delight at FINALLY, after nearly four decades, seeing this old wall get a real bath!
A sight to behold and cherish.
11 Comments
Hippomanic Jen
Love the full dams. Similarly feel sorry for those who have lost lots, but I still love rain (even if the sunshine today was very welcome).
Our local water supply is getting close to 100% and they will have to open the gates. So much looking forward to seeing that, but I think if possible they’ll wait until the rivers downstream go down – unless they have no choice.
jeanie
We saw some of the same drops only a few hours later, it seems…
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Bragger
That is awe-inspiring. In a shivery kind of way.
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ellie k
We have just had 3 nights of freezing temps here in Florida. It was down to 20 in my kids orange groves and the fruit frooze on the trees. They will try to get them picked for juice in the next few days, if not they will rot on the tree and drop, a total loss of the crop. Tropical fish farmers lost millions of fish in the ponds. This weather is really unusual for us.
Mikey
That’s just an incredible amount of water. I’d have been nervous standing up there too! Really cool to see though. It’s beautiful where you live!
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Leenie
Something about crashing water that draws us. Niagara Falls is so awesome that people come there to absorb the ions in the air and enhance their honeymoons.
I’m so glad your home is high and your pastures will drain. So sorry for the farmers and families who’ve lost so much.
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Kelly
A spectacular photo-journal of this event!
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Colin Huggins
Wow – amazing isn’t it? Your photography and graphic descriptions are brilliant – congratulations.
At least, living on high ground your homestead is safe.
I experienced flooding in the 1950’s on the Barwon River – Goondiwindi/Moree area. I sure know what being isolated is like. However, this is the first time I have seen water smashing down the side of a dam wall.
Cheers
Colin (HB)
JENNY TALIA
So glad you are one of the lucky families BB
We might be in for some flooding of our own over here
If this snow decides to melt!
x
roger
fantastic photos,from nothing to that!
Catch the Kids
Love, love, love this. What wonderful photos. A real slice of history!
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