Macquarie River rafts
Information about debris rafts recently formed along the Macquarie River.
Following recent flood events in NSW, debris rafts have formed along the Macquarie River, north of Warren.
Debris rafts are comprised of organic and anthropogenic (human derived) materials.
As part of the recovery operations, the Environmental Services Functional Coordinator (the EPA is the lead agency) is working with other agencies and the community as part of coordinated environmental recovery. The EPA has no regulatory role.
The EPA is consulting with other government agencies to address the issue and has engaged a consultant in hydrogeomorphology, EMM Consulting, for an independent expert opinion.
EMM Consulting has provided a report (PDF 12MB) which found the debris rafts only have the potential to restrict flow and become hazardous in the Macquarie River channel during significant flood conditions when the river is flowing at or near bank full.
The report also found that the debris rafts have been forming for several years and have not directly resulted in significant flood damage despite the noteworthy river heights and flood volumes experienced in the 2022 events.
Environmental Services Functional Coordinator is now considering the findings of this report, and is also seeking the views of the community.
Information session
We are holding a drop-in information session along with Local Land Services and the Department of Planning and Environment and EMM consulting. The consultant and these agencies will be available to discuss the findings of the report and to receive feedback to help us make an informed decision about the next steps to take.
- When: 1–3pm Tuesday 28 February 2023
- Where: Window on the Wetlands Centre, 2 Coonamble Rd, Warren
- See the flyer (PDF 237KB)