When 100 percent is half-full

Many people, including me have struggled with the percentages used by authorities to explain the amount of water held by Wivenhoe dam.
For example, during the Brisbane flood event it was said that the dam was 186% full. Now there's a head-scratching number. How can a dam be more than 100% full?
It appears that the full capacity of the dam is 225% - with 100% referring to the storage of the region's drinking water and anything above that is for flood storage.
Still don't understand? Check out an article published yesterday by the Australian Geographic. Simply click on this article's headline.
One thing the article doesn't touch on is the legislation that requires seqwater to drain the floodwaters stored - 'within the required 7 days'.
Now what's that all about?
The economic cost of the Queensland floods is expected to be the highest in Australia's history. The federal government has already paid out $52m in immediate support to victims. The Premier's flood appeal has raised $85 million, and Ms Bligh has promised all the money will go directly to victims.
The river level at Colleges Crossing is still at catastrophic heights, and it should be remembered that the level at Mt Crosby at the peak of the flood was 26m. Colleges Crossing has been hit by a series of floods over the last couple of months as a result of those dam releases of stored floodwaters to comply with the 'required 7 days' in the legislation.
As everyone is aware the cafe at Colleges Crossing was removed last Monday as the flood levels got to critical levels.

Well since then I've be able to dig up a copy of the Local Bulletin news magazine from 1996 which featured the May floods of that year during which the cafe was also moved to the top of the hill overlooking the park.
The estimated cost for the repairs nearly 15 years ago was $150,000. The figure this year will leave that in the shade.

These latest releases from Wivenhoe dam are continuing around 300,000 megalitres a day, and Colleges Crossing is expected to remain inundated until the middle of next week.
It won't be a pretty sight when the water finally subsides.
It may been long time before the cafe reopens.

Wivenhoe to reduce flows

Seqwater a short time ago announced that it was going to reduce releases from the Wivenhoe - as a huge flood front moves towards Brisbane.
The Flood Operations Centre will reduce releases slowly tonight. The first reduction will be to 610,000 megalitres per day.
The recent 10m river levels at Colleges Crossing were the result of releases of 130,000 megalitres.
The current Brisbane River levels at the Mt Crosby weir is 22.94m - and at Colleges Crossing, where the cafe once proudly stood, is at 15.81m.
If you live in the western suburbs and want to look at the flood modelling for your area or street - click on the heading.
Where the 25ha Colleges Crossing park was, is now submerged under a raging Brisbane River.

Some residents at Karalee have already evacuated. The Bremer River which runs into the Brisbane at Karalee is expected to flood Ipswich at record levels.
The persistent heavy rain of today has moderated tonight - and it will be interesting how tomorrow turns out.
The flood crisis has caused a lot of anxiety in the Brisbane area - especially with predictions that river levels will exceed the disastrous 1974 flood.

River Rising - Road Closed

Seqwater has started releasing more water from Wivenhoe dam this afternoon. This is on top of another bridge-closing high today. The barricades are back on Mt Crosby Road, and the Colleges Crossing bridge is again underwater. Its a rare bridge - more underwater than above it.
The dam release will hit a flooding 100,000 megalitres by tomorrow, that's not much below the level reached in late December. It will mean that the Colleges Crossing park will again be inundated.
The clean-up of the park from the previous event is said to be costing the Ipswich City Council $45k.
Again the Moggill ferry is shut-down.
A bit of feedback in the Queensland Times newspaper over the statement by local Labor MP Mr Wendt that we don't need a new bridge over the crossing.
We will check the weather and the park tomorrow morning to check whether the cafe will be open.

Still flooding

Tonight the Brisbane River at Colleges Crossing has hit 9.46m - that's a 3m rise since Tuesday.
The torrent racing through the Mt Crosby weir is fierce. The river level at the weir is 11.5m. Not much wriggle room left.
Seqwater says the releases will continue from Wivenhoe dam until the weekend. The releases combined with Lockyer Creek flows will mean further flooding for the remainder of the week.
Hope is evaporating that the cafe will be open this weekend. It has now been affecting by flooding for two weeks. Not much fun.
Check river levels by clicking on the headline.

Record Wet

Brisbane has recorded its wettest December in 150 years. While there has been a break in the weather this morning - there's still a chance of a shower or two today.
Seqwater has advised that releases have started from Wivenhoe dam - and combined with Lockyer Creek flows there is expected to be continued flooding downstream into the weekend.
The river height at Mt Crosby is getting close to 10m and rising. The level at Colleges Crossing is on its way to 8 metres. CLICK ON TITLE TO SEE THE MONITORING STATION CHART.
That means that the bridge over Colleges Crossing will continue to be submerged and the park closed.
Tomorrow - Thursday is forecast to be fine, with a few showers expected over the weekend.
Just when the cafe will be open depends on how long the flooding will continue to keep the park locked down, and when the roads will be open.
Hopefully now that the public holidays are over there will be some work done on the unsealed section of the detour over the Mt Crosby weir.