09 Mar UPDATED: CONDITIONS AT LAKE MOONDARRA AFTER RECENT RAINFALL EVENT
UPDATED 9:30AM ON TUESDAY 14 MARCH 2023
THIS POST WILL NO LONGER BE UPDATED FROM 14 MARCH 2023
MIWB are pleased to advise that capacity of Lake Moondarra following the recent significant rainfall of the wet season has peaked at 89.6%. As inflows from the Leichardt River have begun to slow and flood waters have receded, it is now safe to reopen public amenities around the R48 Reserve (Lake Moondarra).
From Monday 13 March 2023, the road to Warrina Park, and Barramundi Way (restricting access to BlackRock, Kingfisher Point, and all public boat ramps) have reopened to the public. MIWB thanks the community for their cooperation in observing the closures and staying safe during the rainfall event.
MIWB encourages the community to continue to be aware of hazards in and around Lake Moondarra, especially when entering and boating in waterways.
UPDATED 3:30PM ON FRIDAY 10 MARCH 2023
Following the Mount Isa Water Boards’ (MIWB) update on the Thursday 9 March, MIWB are pleased to advise that continued favourable inflow into Lake Moondarra have resulted in lake levels reaching within 1 metre of the spillway, or 83% of its full capacity. The recent rainfall provides Mount Isa with a strong water supply well into the future. As published yesterday, with substantial inflows still continuing, there is now a need to take extra safety measures for members of the community accessing areas in and around the lake.
To ensure the communities continued safety, the road to Warrina Park, and Barramundi Way (restricting access to BlackRock, Kingfisher Point, and all public boat ramps) will be closed from midday on Friday 2 March until conditions are safe to reopen.
While the lookout remains open at this point, MIWB urges the community to monitor notifications from the Mount Isa City Council in relation to access to Moondarra Drive and Moondarra Lookout before attempting to drive out to the lake as conditions are changing rapidly.
In the meantime, MIWB urge the community to put safety first and exercise caution when accessing areas around Lake Moondarra and the R48 Reserve.
ORIGINAL POST FROM 4:00PM ON THURSDAY 9 MARCH 2023
The Mount Isa Water Board is the Trustee for the R48 Reserve, an 11,000-hectare water and recreation reserve which includes the land surrounding Lake Moondarra and popular public amenities such as Warrina Park and Transport Bay.
MIWB is pleased to advise that recent favorable rainfall has generated considerable inflows into Lake Moondarra. The lake capacity has almost doubled from 42.5% on Sunday 5 March and is now nearing 80% as at 9 March.
While the lake is unlikely to overflow unless there is significant rainfall over the next few days, should the lake reach the spillway, the conditions at the lake will change rapidly and there will be a need to close public access to the remainder of areas managed by MIWB. MIWB has taken the proactive decision to close Barramundi Way to the public this evening for safety reasons. MIWB are actively monitoring lake levels and will update the community when and if these limits have been reached.
MIWB are working collaboratively with Mount Isa City Council to ensure the community’s continued safety and supply of information. MIWB encourages the community to monitor notifications from the Mount Isa City Council in relation to access to Moondarra Drive and Moondarra Lookout. In the meantime, MIWB urge the community to put safety first and exercise caution when accessing Lake Moondarra.