OK: Now it’s a lake, sort of…

Another 40 millimetres of rain on Monday, added to the previous week’s drop, gave a bit of extra push to local waterways, which at the time of writing had approached, but not quite reached, the levels of the flood years. With forecasts suggesting we could have more rain, and a section of Gingell Street Castlemaine under water this morning, the future looks…interesting.

Forest Creek from Happy Valley Road, September 14: forty millimetres of rain the day before gives it a quite respectable volume…

One interesting feature of the flood waters this time, as in many previous such events, is the amount of soil carried in the water. In the case of Forest Creek, this seems to be sourced partly above Expedition Pass [the reservoir was quite brown on Wednesday], partly from sources in the Chewton Bushlands and Fryers Forest, and partly from unsealed roads in Castlemaine itself. In any case, the washaways suggest poor vegetation coverage in our catchments.

Already, there has been the odd whisper that floods are caused by too many trees along the creeks and rivers, which, it is claimed,  ‘need cleaning out.’ Those interested in this old furphy might want to have a look at our previous posts on the matter, here, here and here.

Here are a few more flood photos:

Forest Creek from the ‘lookout’ at Wesley Hill, September 14…

…and the same scene before the recent heavy rains.

Forest Creek near North Street Chewton, September 14: held into a narrow channel by walls, the creek makes an impressive set of rapids.

Not quite the Barmah Forest: Forest Creek-Barkers Creek Junction, September 14.