Adelaide waterfalls roar to life as reservoirs receive decade-high deluge
In scenes reminiscent of tropical Queensland, waterfalls in the Adelaide Hills have been whipped into raging torrents as reservoirs receive 18 billion litres of water in just 24 hours.
Reservoirs in the Adelaide Hills experienced their highest daily inflow of water in nearly a decade, as a decade-high deluge of rain and lightning hit the region. SA Water reported that about 18 billion litres of water entered the metro reservoir system within a 24-hour period, lifting their combined level by 9 percent to 73 percent of capacity.
The largest reservoir, Mount Bold, received over 5 billion litres of water, boosting its storage level to 82 percent of capacity. Other reservoirs, such as Kangaroo Creek and Little Para, also saw significant increases in storage levels, with Kangaroo Creek increasing by 19 percent and Little Para by 7 percent. This rainfall, occurring in the early hours of the day, transformed Morialta Conservation Park's Fourth Creek into a raging torrent, similar to tropical Queensland's waterways.
Dr Kingsborough, SA Water's spokesperson, noted that the wet start to winter had already increased soil moisture in catchments, and now the rainfall events have led to the observed reservoir inflows. The last time SA Water needed to release water from Mount Bold was in November 2022, when storages reached above 95 percent of capacity.
The Kaurna name for Morialta Conservation Park's Fourth Creek, Moriatta, translates to 'ever flowing', but the river's flow has been controlled by upstream dams and agriculture. Bushwalkers are advised to stay on marked trails and adhere to safety barriers to prevent accidents. South Australian towns experienced record-breaking rainfall totals during August, including 150mm in some parts of the state's far north.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.