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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/09/kati-thanda-lake-eyre-flood-waters-rare-spectacle-supercharged-by-climate-change>
"A pulse of flood water has surged into Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre in what could be
the most significant top-up in a generation.
The sacred site of the Arabana people is home to rivers and creeks that drain
towards the second largest salt lake in the world. Its surrounding basin
sprawls across 1.2m sq km, or just under one-sixth of Australia’s landmass.
After months of record-breaking rainfall and widespread flooding across inland
Queensland, dark, serpentine channels of flowing water have reached the South
Australian outback.
The downpours that engulfed Queensland forced some residents in remote
communities to evacuate and cut others off for weeks. The flood zone covered an
expanse four times the size of the UK.
The water coursing south through inland river systems will dissolve the usually
salty crust to produce an inland sea. Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre contains the
country’s lowest point, at 15.2 metres below sea level.
Trevor Wright, an outback pilot and owner of Wrightsair who has flown over the
region since 1992, said he had never seen anything like it. “It’s amazing in
the sheer volume and speed at which [the flood water is] travelling over the
countryside,” he said.
With cooler temperatures forecast, Wright said he expected the water to persist
for months due to slow evaporation. “We’re starting to see a lot of birdlife
and a fair few wild animals heading down towards the water,” he said, listing
camels, dingoes and feral pigs among the early arrivals.
The pilot acknowledged “catastrophic” environmental damage in Queensland, but
said it was incredible to see the subsequent impact of the flood water, with
native vegetation beginning to flourish and animal populations expected to
boom."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
