Sweetwater Fishing Forums
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Nativeman on September 29, 2010, 07:52:06 PM
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I just checked the Bom site and it has Wivenhoe as 5cm from the top? 20cm fill in one day, is that possible?
Also Somerset shows 24 cm over the top?
Did they have a lot of rain up there?
Gee if these figures are right, they will have the gates open soon at Wivenhoe, Anna will be horrified :o
Cheers
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We've only had 25mm out here this week, but there was a heap came down the north side from Nanango way. That get's into the Stanley and Brisbane rivers so it won't take too much to put them over the top. I don't want it to go over yet, I'm supposed to be paddlin' down the ribba this weekend.
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Makes for good paddling Dale. :tick
I've gone down when its 10 foot up, that an experience. Did Lowood to Kholo with hardly having to paddle.
Cheers,
fitz..
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Was out there today ( Wed ) , I don't think it has gone up a great deal .
Here's a pic of the newly covered grass at Hayes.
Cheers,
Dave.
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According to SEQWater Wivenhoe is at 98.50% of normal capacity and Somerset at 101.79% While there is plenty of tempory flood mitigation space we should note that the wet season hasn't even started yet.... :-\
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According to the BOM water levels site, Lake Wivenhoe is full.
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If it gets much higher, launching at Hayes Landing is going to get a bit tricky. Actually if it gets much higher getting out to Billys & Hayes Landing could be a problem.
Cheers Andrew
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Just launch at the bridge on the way in mate.
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I would if you could see the water for the weed.
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I went for a reccy up that way today ( Thurs ) , I checked out the level at the bridges going into Hayes/Billies bay . Then went up to the bridge crossing on Fulham rd ( Barneys Rocks Bridge ) , upstream of O'sheas. Then out to the hwy north of Toogoolowah , and back to the Brisbane river at Scrub Rd . Back out onto the hwy again heading north and onto Gregors Creek rd , which takes you back to Somerset just out of Kilcoy.
Still plenty of water coming down the Brisbane , and with Somerset having one cone valve open , I doubt it will take long before the 100% mark is hit.
Cheers,
Dave.
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some more picutres of todays adventure..
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G'Day David,
We should compare notes/pics. I drove up the valley about a month ago taking pics at all the crossings (except Fulham) right up past Avoca Vale.
Start contrast to your pics with a flow.
I'll load up the pics tonight if I get time.
fitz..
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I believe a radial gate will be opened if/when Wivenhoe hits 102.5% capacity. Until then, the flow through the hydro station at the dam wall has been increased though you would not be able to see any noticable change in the flows & nothing out of the ordinary to see at the Spillway Common.
Went there for a look on sunday with the lad. Tourists were everywhere. Then went down to Atkinsons Crossing (guaging weir below Wivenhoe). Watched, photgraphed & videod a guy blatantly fishing inside the no fish zone. I will publish the video to show just what an idiot looks like. (rego number of his car was also photographed & will be made available to enforcement upon request). C:-)
So if that was you, you've got a couple of days to make a donation to the fish stocking group, which might make me reconsider..... :walkplank
Fitzy..
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I believe a radial gate will be opened if/when Wivenhoe hits 102.5% capacity. Until then, the flow through the hydro station at the dam wall has been increased though you would not be able to see any noticable change in the flows & nothing out of the ordinary to see at the Spillway Common.
Went there for a look on sunday with the lad. Tourists were everywhere. Then went down to Atkinsons Crossing (guaging weir below Wivenhoe). Watched, photgraphed & videod a guy blatantly fishing inside the no fish zone. I will publish the video to show just what an idiot looks like. (rego number of his car was also photographed & will be made available to enforcement upon request). C:-)
So if that was you, you've got a couple of days to make a donation to the fish stocking group, which might make me reconsider..... :walkplank
Fitzy..
Wouldnt be a bad way to raise funds !
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Geez, ya getting mellow in your old age Fitz, I remember a time when you would have hung that sort of offender from the nearest tree fork ;D ;D ;D ;D
Brad
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Heard on the news today that Anna Blight is getting a caning in Parliament for considering releasing water from Wivenhoe when it is really only 40% full and Brisbane is still on water restrictions and rate payers are paying a grossly inflated price for water because it is scarce. Catch 22 for Anna now.
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If Peter Beattie had of done something on our suggestion to pipe water up the Lockey Valley when water is released from Wivenhoe we'd see better use of the resource. Will gravity feed to Atkinsons & lower Lockyer Creek.
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oh no that would "make sense" to do something like that and that seems to be a trend most members of parliment tend to avoid
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Yes to all of the above, but I'll believe we have a water shortage when they actually pipe it to Brisbane instead of flowing it down the river!
Cant believe they built a pipeline to pump recycled effluent up to the dam, but dont have one to bring the water down!
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Yes to all of the above, but I'll believe we have a water shortage when they actually pipe it to Brisbane instead of flowing it down the river!
Cant believe they built a pipeline to pump recycled effluent up to the dam, but dont have one to bring the water down!
The day they start piping water from Wivenhoe to Mt Crosby is the day we loose 60km of river inbetween. No flow = no water for fish. :-\
fitz..
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Just thinking out aloud here. Wouldn't this be a pretty good time to start pumping the water through the new pipeline up to Cressbrook. Does it work? I've heard conflicting stories about it. Instead of letting it flow into Moreton Bay, we could let Toowoomba boost their storage supplies couldn't we?
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Aussie,
That seems like a reasonable thing to do. :youbeauty
Colin
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Dale I,m sure the new intake tower up at Sinnamon Point has been sucking water for a while now. I was led to believe that this was built as part of the pipeline to Cressbrook.
Cheers Andrew
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According to this site:
http://www.toowoombarc.qld.gov.au/index.php?option=com_finder&view=search&q=dam+levels
Cooby is 17.2%, Perserverence is 29.1% and Cressbrook is 21.2%. This gives Toowoomba a total of 22.2% of capacity today. The mayor up there says the water has been pumping since April and is helping their levels. In April it was 18%. In six months of pumping their level has risen 4%. The water pump in my ute could pump more than that 24/7. As I said, total irresponsibility to release water to the ocean when it could be pumped to Toowoomba through Anna's drought saving system.
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They are pumping up the hill Dale but only at T'Bahs current consumption.
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The story I heard was that the pipes are too small and the pump is too slow to go up the mountain...Can't actually remember but it would take 18 months of pumping to get Cressbrook to 25%
Anyway something silly like that...could be a tall story though ;D
Cheers
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so pretty much by the sounds of that they are just p***ing in a lake :thumbdown
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The story I heard was that the pipes are too small and the pump is too slow to go up the mountain...Can't actually remember but it would take 18 months of pumping to get Cressbrook to 25%
Anyway something silly like that...could be a tall story though ;D
Cheers
Heard something very similar
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Will this mean a defacto Brisbane River restocking program is immenent???
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Doubt they'll open a gate wide enough for a Bass to get through yet.
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Shayne,
The Brissie River has been stocked for many years by Brisbane Valley Anglers Fishstocking Assn, Bass and Mary River Cod mainly, plus the additions from over the Big W wall survivors :thumbsup
Brad
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Thanks Brad but was aware of the good work done by the folks at BRA, was lucky enough to spend a bit of time with a member at the last conference, unfortunately my cr@p memory fails when it comes to his name, actually was just wondering at what point fish might start escaping over the wall.
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Shayne,
The Brissie River has been stocked for many years by Brisbane Valley Anglers Fishstocking Assn, Bass and Mary River Cod mainly, plus the additions from over the Big W wall survivors :thumbsup
Brad
Restocking of Mid-Brisbane River was initially under the banner of the Brisbane Valley Fish Management Assn which was renamed to the Somerset & Wivenhoe Fish Stocking Assn to better reflect the groups work.
Then the 60km downstream from Wivenhoe to Kholo was handed over to the BVA fishing club.
Mary River Cod are stocked into the mid-Brisbane River by DPI&F as part of recovery program.
The lions share of bass stocked over the years has been done by DPI&F back in Beattie's days. I must have released a couple hundred thousand there myself. With Wivenhoe upstream regulating flows the Mid Brisbane River can get over populated IMHO, especially after releases from Wivenhoe like the last big one in the summer of 1999/2000. Was a dead set turkey shoot downstream with tons of huge bass getting caught for ages afterwards. The need for restocking this section of river is probably not necessary as the investment of public monies to get a fish to breeding size is probably around 10+ years as they're so slow to grow in this river. Then if they do go over the weir to breed there's bugger all non-tidal freshwater for them to live in & there's no way they can migrate back up over the 2 weirs. So restocking is all about recreational fishing & a quarter of the year you can't fish for them as there's a closed season. Which is a pointless exercize this river on upstream of the weir as there no viable way of bass breeding if above, or maintaining a breeding population down from the weir.
The answer IMHO is for Brisbane City Council to be a responsible community citizen & build a working fishway on their big Mt Crosby Weir & destroy the little old one that sits there as a defunct monument to mans ability to bend nature to its will.
Cheers,
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Come on mate, that fishway is a testament to man's ability to stuff up. It should be left there as a lesson to all.
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Come on mate, that fishway is a testament to man's ability to stuff up. It should be left there as a lesson to all.
Talk about the blunt end of the stick mate but seems to be true.
Steve
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The main reason I got out of my involvement with the BVA restocking effort, was the absolute pig pigheadedness of the bureaucraps at Brisbane water and the lack of interest in resolving the fishway saga. At one point we had scientific evidence, engineering studies and better than 60% funding available to solve the drama, but the council was having none of it. It drove me to absolute frustration and was doing my head in, so I got out before I clocked some dopey council manager.
Brad
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The main reason I got out of my involvement with the BVA restocking effort, was the absolute pig pigheadedness of the bureaucraps at Brisbane water and the lack of interest in resolving the fishway saga. At one point we had scientific evidence, engineering studies and better than 60% funding available to solve the drama, but the council was having none of it. It drove me to absolute frustration and was doing my head in, so I got out before I clocked some dopey council manager.
Brad
I sometimes think they play for that effect, in fact I know it is a tactic employed intentionally by politicians/beaurocrats at times. Unfortunately, it often works. :-\
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Surely they must be releasing water from Wivenhoe after last night'r rain???
Cheers
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22mm here last night.
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Did I hear right??
caught the news on the radio and they said the gate is open. They were going to close the road at Colleges?
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TV News said they would open it tonight. First time in 10 years. Be worth a look tomorrow morning.
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Had a look up there today but it was still closed, however the twin bridges road had the water over road sign out. ABC news has just said the gates will be opened this evening.
Might have to go & check it out in the morning, looks like the mid section is in for a restocking :OMG
Cheers Andrew
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What's the odds of Fitz trying to run his punt up the Lowood rapids again? Any gamblers out there?
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Sounds like fun Dale, could be a bit of an obstacle course out there tomorrow.
Saw a couple of guys putting a kayak & canoe in at the common this arvo, hope they were'nt planning on camping on the river overnight.
Andrew
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Well it Sunday did they open the gates last night like all the reports stated. :thanks
Ray
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Its open
Water has not gotten as far as Kohlo as yet. Big water that is
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Fish might actually have a chance at the moment at Mt Crosby. See ladder at right
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Must of nealry run into you Steve, I was out there as they were setting up the traffic control. Traffic control, security gaurds & police all on site, I think it's going to be a busy day out there. I saw it ten years ago but you soon forget how spectacular it is. There is a lot of water flowing down that river.
Cheers Andrew
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Some great snaps there. You can feel the power.
:thanks
Jono
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Oh dear, now you've got me remembering when ...
Pre Wivanhoe and sometime around the mid seventies ( can't remember exactly ) they released a massive amount of water from Somerset. Myself and a friend left one car at the old Moggill ferry and launched our surf skis from Colleges into the torrent and OVER the bridge.
I went straight up a tree while my friend disappeared from view. I got free luckily and had the wildest ride ever.
Thinking back it was probably the single dumbest thing I ever did. No lifejacket of course but wow what a ride.
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MOUNT CROSBY
MOUNT CROSBY ROAD
03:12 PM 10/10/2010
Due to water release from the Wivenhoe Dam, Colleges Crossing will be closed from 6 pm tonight until Monday morning.
Cant be letting too much out with only a 12 hour road closure.
Cheers
Ray
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Just been out for a gander myself. Wivenhoe Spillway, Lowood Bend, Twin Bridges, Savages Crossing & Burtons Bridge. Post some video shortly.
Quite funny seeing everyone getting soaked at the spillway... It's a fair dinkum circus out there, ice cream trucks & traffic controllers. :o
fitz..
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There's quite a bit of water still to come down , I checked out the upper Brisbane and Stanley Rivers this afternoon ( Sunday )
Cheers,
Dave.
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A couple more pics..
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So now that the bass are in the river are they going to start hitting surface lures? God I hope so, can't wait to catch a big girl on the surface. That's if I can manage to land it with all the structure that they have to hide in now!!!
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:'(
All my honey holes are now coffee rapids!!! I wont complain though should be good for the systems to have a flush.
Colin
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I don't think having one gate open on Wivenhoe will be enough , the level of the lake today ( tuesday ) is unbelievable . Still heaps of inflow to come .
Somerset has its spillway in use , while I was there I saw heaps of fish doing the big leap .
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Four gates open according to the radio :OMG
They are advising people to stay away due to flooded roads & water hazards. C:-)
Cheers Andrew
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Stanley R at Somerset Dam 4.49pm Tue falling 2.12 above full supply
Brisbane R at Wivenhoe Dam 4.58pm Tue rising 2.35 above full supply
Laidley Ck @ Showground Weir 8.20am Tue steady 0.63 above weir
Atkinsons Dam 3.43pm Tue steady 0.03 above spillway
Lockyer Ck at O'Reilly'S Weir 4.00pm Tue falling 1.90 above weir
Brisbane R at Savages Crossing 5.04pm Tue rising 4.01 above bridge
Brisbane R at Burtons Br 3.45pm Tue falling 0.83 above bridge
Lake Manchester 4.57pm Tue steady 0.42 above spillway
Brisbane R at Mt Crosby 4.14pm Tue steady 3.73 below bridge
Brisbane R at Colleges Crossing 4.39pm Tue steady 2.61 above crossing
thats one cr@p load of water heading down river :OMG
Brad
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Dubba is supposed to be at 118%.
More coming in as well. River is geting a good flush.
Last time they were opened they slammed them shut, and it caused a fair bit of bank errosion, Wonder if it will be the same this time or a slow close.
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I forgot to add this link here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cOgP8lgCL4
Need to get back up for another look before they shut it down.
Then the Brissy River Turkey Shoot will be on......
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Saw a 200mm gold fish last night while spotlighting along the river edge in Wivenhoe Pocket, nice bright orange with a brown helmet . Haven't seen any of these beasties before . I wonder what other ferals have come over the wall .
Cheers,
dave.
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Saw a 200mm gold fish last night while spotlighting along the river edge in Wivenhoe Pocket, nice bright orange with a brown helmet . Haven't seen any of these beasties before . I wonder what other ferals have come over the wall .
Cheers,
dave.
Probably a goldfish I recon Dave. I've seen them in Wivenhoe & the river at close to a kilogram. :o
fitz
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Here is a couple of vids I took today with my phone so not the best quality
First is Kohlo Bridge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlrWK7UEOCI
Next is Mt Crosby Weir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgdVgrmVQ88
and lastly is Colleges Crossing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjNEByGmwyk
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How wonderful, the bass can go upstream fueled by the caffeine from the cafe latte' machine and not have to worry about traversing the fish way :youbeauty
Bit of an eye opener, the Kholo under water :OMG normally 20 feet of air under the span :o
Brad
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So what do you all think? The river be clearing up soon? Anyone near the river can give me a heads up..
Cheers
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Hi Sel,
I took a few photos today ( Thurs ) at Twin Bridges on the river and also the road acces into Hayes/Billies bay at Wivenhoe . The water levels have gone down to normal-ish levels but the water has gone quite murky ( at the height of the flood it was quite clean ) . The river bed appears to have had a transformation from what I could see around twin bridges . Heaps of new sandy beach areas plus wholesale rearrangement of the pebble and rock , the river looks like its alot deeper in the rapids section just near the bridge. And the whole area reeks of decomposing freshwater muscles , they are smashed to bits everywhere , one could say there are more muscle shells than rocks !!! Still , I'll be hitting the river tomorrow arvo up my way , we'll see if the turkey shoot is on .
Cheers,
Dave.
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Thanks for that Dave
I have tomorrow off, so after a sleep in, I will load the yak on and go out for a fish or a look at Twin Bridges, or maybe even Kholo later in the day. Lloyd and Kev are doing a fish capture at my Father's retirement village in the arvo for the hatchery so have to be close by for that in the late arvo..
Thanks for the pics and the report
Cheers