Precious water flows into Callide

Russel Guse And Cameron Mccrohon | 5th February 2010

HALLELUJAH: Banana Shire Major John Hooper watches as water flows down Callide Creek into Callide Dam, bringing it to above 10 per cent.

IT was manna from heaven.

Water has rushed down Callide Creek to replenish the dwindling Callide Dam as rain from ex-cyclone Olga fell in catchment areas that have often missed the rain that drenched much of central Queensland.

While water continues to flow into the dam, Sunwater regional manager Neville Wogandt told Central Telegraph yesterday the dam had an inflow of around 6000 megalitres(ML) to be at 10.3% capacity, or 14,054 ML.

“It’s a great morale booster,” Mr Wogandt said.

“It will take the pressure off for some time.

“We will look for a lot more to secure the water allocation,” he said.

Callide Dam supplies water to Biloela, Thangool and the Callide Dam village, and had been sitting at 6-7% for the past 12 months, maintained at that level by water pumped over from Awoonga Dam.

Kroombit Dam was now at 29% and Monto’s Cania Dam at 10.7%, with inflows of 5000ML to bring it up to 9400ML.

Despite the surge of water into Lake Callide, Biloela and Thangool residents will have to endure the new Level 4B water restrictions for at least another three weeks.

Banana Shire chief executive Ray Geraghty said the new restrictions were introduced by Council at its January meeting and could not be overturned until they meet again later this month.

“We won’t know whether or not we are in a position to ease restrictions until we hear from SunWater.

“Once the flow into the dam stops, SunWater will advise us of how much allocation we will have available from the dam.”

Banana Shire Mayor John Hooper was among hundreds of Biloela residents who drove out to Callide Creek this week to watch the water roar towards Lake Callide and the sight brought a smile to his face. “This flow will not solve our water problems but it will certainly ease the situation a little,” Cr Hooper said. “What we need now is for more heavy rain in the catchment area over the next few weeks to make a real difference.”

Minor flooding did cause the closure of some roads in the Baralaba and Wowan-Dululu districts mid-week but all major roads had re-opened by yesterday.

Where the rain fell

Rainfall over the past week (mm)

Theodore – 127.8

Baralaba – 120.8

Taroom – 118.8

Thangool 65

Monto - 53