Urgent warning after 'hazardous' detail spotted at edge of Aussie dam: 'Be aware'
A striking image has given Australian boaters a sobering reminder of how quickly conditions on the water can change, especially as parts of the country face a dry spell.
The photo, posted online by NSW Maritime last week, shows a cardinal mark — a floating navigation aid that shows which side of it is safe to travel on — stranded on dry land, metres away from the current waterline at Blowering Dam, near Tumut in southern NSW.
"This pic... shows how low the water levels are at the moment, leaving our cardinal mark on dry land. If you're heading out, be aware of the changed conditions, keep a proper lookout for exposed rocks and other hazards at all times," NSW Maritime said online.
While inland dams often fluctuate, the speed and scale of this drop is eye-opening. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the region around Blowering Dam has received below-average rainfall for this time of year, contributing to the receding shoreline and exposing previously submerged hazards.
Around the country's west, south, and southeast, it's a similar story with below average rainfall in some parts breaking records.
When water levels fall quickly, the risks for boaters increase. Submerged hazards like rocks, sandbanks and tree stumps can become exposed or lurk just beneath the surface, catching even experienced skippers off guard. Navigation markers may no longer be positioned in safe or meaningful locations, creating confusion or a false sense of security.
Changing conditions like these can be extremely dangerous and require attention.
Boaters are being urged to check water levels before heading out, and to slow down and keep a proper lookout at all times.
Failing to adjust to the conditions can lead to damaged vessels, personal injury or worse. The photo serves as a visual warning not just for those heading to Blowering, but for inland waterways across Australia, especially as parts of the country remain in rainfall deficits amid lingering drought conditions.
Australia's southern agricultural regions—especially parts of South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania—are facing some of their driest conditions on record.
Regions across South Australia, including the Eyre, Yorke and Fleurieu Peninsulas, have received just a fraction of their average rainfall, with some areas recording less than 20 per cent of normal levels.
Waterways have dried up completely in parts, prompting emergency water carting to sustain ecosystems. Southwestern Victoria, including around Warrnambool, and areas of western Tasmania are also in the grip of serious rainfall deficits, with Victoria recording one of its lowest 24-month rainfall totals on record.
Urgent warning for boaters over major danger plaguing Aussie river
Aussies warned of destructive habit having 'devastating' consequences
Tourist's $700 boat nightmare at famous Aussie hotspot
The Bureau of Meteorology has also flagged widespread below-average rainfall across southwestern Western Australia and Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania, with April figures falling into the lowest 10 per cent historically. These prolonged dry conditions are depleting soil moisture, damaging crops, and causing concern for livestock feed availability.
NSW has been relatively less affected in the short term, though parts of the far west and northwest inland have also recorded patchy and below-average falls in recent months.
You can check the latest dam levels and drought updates via the Bureau of Meteorology, and always refer to NSW Maritime for real-time alerts.
Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
3 hours ago
- Washington Post
Cleanup underway after storms topple trees, power lines across D.C. region
Kevin Vigneault was dropping his 8-year-old daughter off at swim practice in their Bethesda, Maryland neighborhood Thursday afternoon when he saw the first crack of lightning. He knew practice would be canceled, so he hustled to Mohican Swim Club to collect his 13-year-old daughter and her friends before the rain intensified. 'The rain, the skies, everything started to change very quickly,' Vigneault said. In a matter of minutes, the storm had grown ferocious. He and the four young girls clambered into the car; one of his daughter's friends was the last to hop in the back seat and pulled the door shut. Seconds later, there was a flash of light, then a boom. 'As soon as she gets in the car, lightning hits the tree right next to us — just shatters it,' Vigneault said. 'Splits the tree in half.' A tree he estimated to be nearly 60 feet tall had fallen, and taken a power line along with it. Vigneault saw sparks on the ground and told the girls not to step foot outside of the car. Then, a truck across the street ignited. Caught between the fallen tree and the blazing vehicle, Vigneault pulled into a nearby driveway where he and the girls could safely exit. He said they were shaken, but safe. 'When I woke up this morning, it was the first thing I thought about,' Vigneault said Friday. 'You do the 'what if' — what if that lightning struck 10 seconds later. I was about to put the car in drive and pull up right where the tree fell.' Destructive storms blew across the D.C. region Thursday, leaving damage and power outages in their wake. The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service received more than 200 calls for service from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, most reporting fallen trees and power lines, according to a social media post from spokesperson Pete Piringer. Similar incidents were reported around the region. Flights were grounded at all three D.C. area airports during the storm as winds registered up to 66 mph and both lanes of Dulles Toll Road were blocked at one point after a large tree toppled over the sidewall and struck multiple cars. Elsewhere in the region, a tree in Georgetown tore bricks from the ground as it fell on a historic home; and a building undergoing renovation at 19th and H streets in Northeast Washington collapsed under the forceful winds. Just after 8 p.m. Thursday, winds caused the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland to close briefly, then reopen with a slower speed limit in place. Authorities have not reported any serious injuries as a result of the storms. The damage continued to reverberate into Friday, as thousands in the region remained without power. As of 1 p.m. Friday, nearly 14,000 Dominion Energy customers in Northern Virginia were without power, most of them Alexandria residents. The utility expected power to return between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Friday, a Dominion Energy spokesperson said in an email. In Maryland, more than 3,000 Pepco customers and more than 6,000 BGE customers waited for their power to return. And in the District, 723 Pepco customers were still impacted Friday afternoon. Fallen trees also affected the Maryland Area Rail Commuter service, which reported that its Brunswick line was out of operation Friday morning, and the Penn and Camden lines were operating on a limited schedule.
CBS News
3 hours ago
- CBS News
Tips for Coloradans to stay cool in tripple-digit weather, HVAC techs work overtime to fix AC units
As temps expected to climb into triple digits, air conditioning techs are working overtime As temps expected to climb into triple digits, air conditioning techs are working overtime As temps expected to climb into triple digits, air conditioning techs are working overtime As dangerous heat grips the Denver metro area on this First Alert Weather Day, residents in Arapahoe County are being urged to take precautions to stay safe and cool. One of the best ways to beat the heat? Staying indoors with working air conditioning. But for many, that's been a challenge. HVAC repair crews across the region are working around the clock to respond to an uptick in service calls. At AAA Service Plumbing, Heating, and Electric, technicians say air conditioning units are breaking down at a steady pace as the heat wave ramps up. Among the most common reasons AC units stop working are dirty or clogged filters, outdoor units covered in dust or debris, low refrigerant levels, and electrical or mechanical component failure Experts recommend checking and replacing air filters regularly and cleaning the outside unit with a garden hose to keep systems running efficiently. For those without access to air conditioning, the City of Aurora has opened several cooling centers to the public at the Aurora Central Library, Chambers Plaza Library, Martin Luther King Jr. Library, and Hoffman Library All cooling centers will remain open until 6:00 p.m. this evening. The Aurora Day Resource Center is also open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and can be used as an emergency overnight shelter during extreme weather events.
Travel Weekly
6 hours ago
- Travel Weekly
Air India will reduce U.S. frequencies
Air India will reduce frequencies on three U.S. routes from June 21 through at least July 15. Delhi-San Francisco will drop from 10-times weekly to daily; Delhi-Chicago O'Hare will be reduced from daily to three-times weekly; and Delhi-Washington Dulles will go from five-times weekly to three-times per week. The moves come as the carrier continues enhanced safety checks on its widebody fleet following the June 12 Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 241 passengers and crew and 29 people on the ground. India's civil aviation authority has thus far cleared 26 of the airline's 33 Dreamliners following those checks. But Air India has also decided to undertake checks on its fleet of Boeing 777s. The safety checks, coupled with increased flight times on many routes due to restrictions on Indian carriers overflying Pakistan, led Air India to cancel 83 international flights between June 13 and June 18. Overall, the carrier will reduce its international flight schedule by 15% during the June 21 to July 15 time frame to improve reliability. "Air India apologizes to the passengers affected due to these curtailments and will inform them in advance and make its best efforts to accommodate them on alternate flights. Passengers will also be offered a choice to reschedule their travel without any cost or to be given full refund, as per their choice," the airline said.
