When it rains, it pours

By KENNY KINNEVERTON, AAP WriterUpdated July 15, 2021 00:52:24As the drought intensifies, water restrictions are tightening across many of the state’s regions.

While the main rivers are expected to start to flow again by the middle of the year, more than 80 per cent of Victoria’s rivers will still be closed by next year, including the Darling, the Murray and the Swan.

There is also a long way to go before some of the most iconic waterways in the state are back to their pristine state.

The Murray and Darling rivers have seen a steady stream of water over the past two years, which has led to significant erosion along some of its most iconic banks.

In the past week, an estimated 7,000 cubic metres of water has eroded across the banks of the Murray River, which flows into the Great Sandy.

The river has also been flooded at its deepest point, at a depth of just 5,500 metres, by water that was dumped by heavy rains in the past 24 hours.

As well, an additional 6,000 tonnes of water have been dumped in the Great Basin River over the same period.

The state’s two rivers are also experiencing a number of other water-related issues, including high flows on the Great Swan and the Fraser.

The Great Swan has seen a total of more than 5,000 metres of flowing water since Monday, with some banks being flooded to the maximum of 60 per cent.

Water levels on the river have also risen above 50 metres in some parts.

In addition, the river is now at more than 70 per cent full and there are warnings that the Fraser is heading for a critical flood stage.

The rivers are still expected to continue to be very high in flow and some rivers, like the Murray, are expected in critical flood stages.

But despite the ongoing flooding, Victoria is expected to see a return of some of Victoria´s most iconic river systems.

Water restrictions are in place across many regions, including Victoria, while the Murray is expected back to its normal flow in the next week.

The Fraser River is expected again to return to its usual flow over the next two weeks, while Victoria is also expected to get a return to normal flow over a week, with the Fraser River still expected by mid-July.

The State Government said water restrictions would remain in place for the next three weeks and would also be enforced for the rest of the month.

Water quality in the Murray has been at the worst it has been in more than three decades, and the water quality of the Fraser has been the worst in more years.

The Federal Government has also announced it is going to introduce an emergency ban on commercial fishing on the Fraser, and an additional ban on recreational fishing on both rivers.

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