Local rivers that wind throughout the Western Plains will be better understood after twenty new or upgraded gauging stations will be installed to better monitor river conditions.

The Darling, Macquarie, Culgoa, Gwydir, Border Rivers, and Namoi catchment will all receive the new monitoring systems, said to strengthen the current network of water data available to us. 

It’s a timely announcement given the recent flooding events that continue to impact the Western Plains. 

One of the first locations to flood, Gwabegar, saw the inundation of at least ten houses after Baradine Creek - which has no gauge and therefore cannot be monitored - saw a supercell storm dump more than 230mm in the Kenebri area.

SES Western Zone Officer David Rankine said that the inability to measure the flow in unmetered watercourses had a resounding impact on the severity of the damage. 

“We can see the effects when you don't have a gauge on a river and its hard to get an eyeball on what the river is doing because it's night-time and a combination of other factors that explain what we saw in Gwabegar,” Mr Rankine said. 

Minister for Resources and Water Keith Pitt said that the gauges will help to fill the gaps and deliver better data for farmers, water users and Basin Communities that ‘live and breathe our rivers and floodplains’.

“These improved gauges mean we can provide live information on the volume of flows coming down rivers, and the possible impacts these will have on people’s property,” Mr Pitt said. 

Still, the proposed monitoring infrastructure is unlikely to reach the smaller watercourses like the Baradine Creek or even the lower Castlereagh River, which saw widespread flooding in December.

While the site locations for the gauging stations are yet to be confirmed, Walgett was listed as a priority site for the Namoi catchment. 

The data collected by the new stations are targeted at better understanding river connectivity and preparing the regions against drought. 

The sites will provide varying water information including stream and storage flow and volume, groundwater level, water quality and rainfall data, as well as real-time telemetry.

Member for Parkes Mark Coulton said the investment will have a positive impact on the region. 

“Water is a precious resource for our Basin communities and their farmers, which is why it’s vital governments continue to invest in collecting and analysing water data so informed decisions can be made,” Mr Coulton said. 

The new stations will see an investment of $1.05 million as part of the Enhanced Water Monitoring and Information Program.

While five of the stations are due to be installed by June 2022, the other 15 stations are not expected to be finished until the end of 2023.