Headings Cliffs to Renmark: 565 km
Blackwater - Flood frequency - Water quality - Floating logs - Renmark - Classic cars
For the last part of the day paddling from Custom’s House (South Australian Border) to Headings Cliffs and for the whole of today we did not see one dead fish. We also observed that even at the time we left our campsite, that there were no shrimp gathered at the side of the river. This means that the black water and the fish it has killed upstream have not yet reached Renmark. It is possible that the blackwater in the river has been diluted by flows from tributaries, like the Chowilla Creek and Rufus River (Lake Victoria) and that the worst of its effects will be avoided because of it. Time will tell. However, there is no avoiding the fish deaths. There are reports that bream have been seen dead around Mildura. There are many backwaters and places where the river flows over the land, rather than simply down the channel upstream of Mildura which will have caused locally intense blackwater, so the fish deaths are not surprising. That the bream are also dying is not a good sign, they are hardier than the cod. Today, the river had not yet exceeded its banks around Renmark, however with a 30cm rise still coming from Mildura, this should be expected in the coming week or two. The question is really, how far will the effect be transported downstream? It seems that no-one really knows.
Tragic as it is, the fish seem to survive, or recolonise areas lost to their species following these events. Their numbers bounced back from the 2011 events. They should following this one too. Here, the habit diversity of the river is the key. Each stream, each cutting and each snag, offers survival niches. Were the Murray simply a channel, the whole population could be lost by such an event.
We arrived early in Renmark today and did a car shuffle from Mildura, preparing for Anna’s departure tomorrow. Since there is no public transport between Renmark and Mildura anymore, I hired a car. The car was driven to the caravan park where I am staying by a fellow who is a few years older than me. He is 58 and has been in Renmark all his life. “You know”, he said, “we never used to have black water when I was younger, so what has changed?” I agreed. In my 52 years at Echuca, black water - at least on this scale, has only been a recent phenomenon. Like most locals, he could name the years that the river had flooded in his lifetime. “We had floods in 74, 75, and in the 80’s, then 92, 2011, and now, but it is only the last two floods that have created this issue. They are no higher than those earlier floods and they were around the same time of the year. The difference is flood frequency, the number of times that the river has been high enough to flow through the forest has been decreasing. Before Dartmouth Dam was built the Murray’s level changed dramatically every year, watering its banks and rebuilding its beaches. It also seemed to flood about every 5 years. when Dartmouth was built, it doubled the holding capacity of dams in the upper Murray, where 95% of the rain in the Murray Darling Catchment falls. Water which normally flooded the forests and washed away the litter was caught and kept for irrigation. Now these high rivers seem to happen only every ten. In some places, much less. Large areas of the Edwards-Wakool Forest had not flooded since 1992 (24 years ago). Because the backwater is produced locally, it is possible that some sections of the river have been skipped. That dead fish have been reported at Goolwa, but nothing in between, suggests that blackwater has formed ahead of the main flow and highlights the complexity and patchiness of these events.
Booking into our caravan park, the ladies at reception told me that the blackwater had scared away many of their customers. “People think that we are underwater,” they said; “we’ve had lots of cancellations.” There is a lot of fear around the high river. The black water is not poisonous. It is simply dark in colour and low in oxygen. If the river was low enough to expose the beaches, I would be swimming in it - mind you, not if there were a lot of dead fish around. Though dark, the water is actually clearer than usual. I can see my paddle to a depth of around 30 cm. When boat traffic picks up at this time of the year, I can usually only see about 5cm. I filter the water to drink it using a ceramic filter designed for the muddy water holes of Africa. The filter is fine enough to take out bacteria and viruses, but not colour and taste. Most evenings I filter three to four litres of water. I drink two during the day and use two for cooking, tea and water whilst I am on land. Surprisingly, it tastes as good as usual. Most houseboat businesses have closed, citing danger from floating logs and the blackwater. This is an overreaction in my opinion. There are hardly more logs floating than in a normal year and certainly much less for houseboat hirers to avoid than when the river is full of boats, swimmers and people floating down on pool toys. The fish deaths are not pretty, but they are still novel enough, that people count them, they are not everywhere. The blackwater itself makes the river reflect the blue of the sky. Despite its unfortunate initial effect, it feeds and will kick start the whole river ecosystem. Following this event, river life will boom, because it has now been fed. Witnessing the high water is an educational and beautiful experience. Its what a river does normally, before we began disrupting its cycles. People should get to know these cycles, not avoid them.
The paddle into Renmark was a pretty one. In the morning light, the orange and yellow colours of Renmark region’s cliffs stood out against the clear blue sky. Whistling kites hunted low over the water and between trees. Darters sat on their nests - some for the second batch of chicks already. Black swans lead us away from their young. Anna found that she could imitate their call and held quite a long conversation with one of the parents. Perhaps her call was like one of the young signets.
Renmark has an impressive foreshore. As a river town, it depends on tourist numbers from Adelaide. River towns have suffered enough from the blue green algae of last summer. They don’t need to have fear of black water keep people away from a (now) rare high water event. If you haven’t witnessed it, get out and have a look. Tell your friends too. Its pretty special.
In town, an event was taking place just for the locals. Renmark High School students were celebrating the end of year with a prom. Like a debutante ball, the young couple had gone to great lengths with their preparation, but unlike the deb balls I know, the street was blocked off and couples arrived in classic cars. Locals lined the streets and cheered as each couple arrived. Each car had a number. As they approached the red carpet area an announcer described the features of the car, a little of its story and who was driving it. The driver would then step out of the car, open the doors for the young ladies and then the couples would also be introduced. There was a whole array of vehicle types, from 1950’s rockabilly style coupes, Pontiacs, Cadillacs, Mustangs, Firebirds, Holden specials from every era and Falcon 500’s. The locals voted on which made the best entrance. One young fellow, in a successful effort to impress, was in a red Bathurst Torana escorted by three Harley Davidsons. What a great way to involve, develop and celebrate community!
Visit a river town if you can. The floods are part of their story. Get out there and discover it.
