EstuaryWatch Data Portal
Estuary events Painkalac Creek Estuary
Date | Details | |
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25-07-2022 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Dear Community members With the recent partial opening on July 15th, Council has been monitoring Painkalac Creek water levels. With a saturated catchment any inflows over the past 2 weeks have resulted in water level rise. The weekends 7mm of rain in the catchment saw river levels rise to 1.9 metres which results in minor drain flooding along roadsides in specific low lying areas. The reservoir is currently full and is therefore not able to hold back any upstream inflows. The sand berm at the river mouth is blocking the river flows and is approximately 0.65metres above the estuary water levels. With a further rainfall forecast of 20mm due and without removal of the sand berm, it is likely water levels will rise enough to cause flooding to houses. Council is therefore proposing to open the estuary mouth today with the support of CCMA, Barwon Water and DELWP. Sharna Whitehead PS from Rod Brooks: The estuary had naturally closed on 13 August but naturally reopened on 14 August following rainfall and then naturally closed on 11 September 2022 Rod Brooks |
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21-07-2022 |
EstuaryWatch Monitoring Group notices & meetings Painkalac Creek fringing vegetation type maps from 2017 These maps have been made by one of EstuaryWatch team Evy Gomm using open source data collected by Sinclair and Kohout 2018 The online data source is: https://discover.data.vic.gov.au/dataset/index-of-estuarine-condition-estuarine-fringing-vegetation The report where the data collection methods are described is attached: Sinclair, S.J. and Kohout, M. (2018). Assessment of fringing vegetation for the index of estuary condition. Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Technical Report Series No. 290. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Heidelberg, Victoria. Rod Brooks |
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15-07-2022 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Dear Community members With the recent wet weather, Council has been monitoring Painkalac Creek water levels. River levels have risen to 1.89 metres which results in minor drain flooding along roadsides in specific low lying areas. The reservoir is currently full and is therefore not able to hold back any upstream inflows. The sand berm at the river mouth is blocking the river flows and is approximately 0.65 metres above the estuary water levels. With a further significant rainfall event due and without removal of the sand berm, it is likely water levels will rise enough to cause flooding to houses. Council is therefore proposing to open the estuary mouth today with the support of CCMA, Barwon Water and DELWP. Sharna Whiteheasd P.S. the opening was only partial and closed over in a few days. Rod Brooks |
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17-06-2022 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Council digger artificially opening estuary mouth Rod Brooks |
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20-06-2018 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Surf Coast Shire has artificially opened the estuary around 20th June. Water level (m AHD) at the bridge is still high at just on 2m AHD and Coastal Court and Butlers Bend monitoring sites are still underwater. Leonie Mugavin |
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17-06-2018 |
Unusual/Extraordinary occurrence! High tides 1.8m on Saturday and Sunday saw the sea go over the berm on both days. Photos are from Sunday 17th June at 2.40pm. Very windy day and a big sea following high rainfall. 1.9m AHD at the Bridge Leonie Mugavin |
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21-05-2018 |
Unusual/Extraordinary occurrence! High tide 1.8m Monday 21st Leonie Mugavin |
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20-05-2018 |
Unusual/Extraordinary occurrence! 1.8m high tides again on Sunday 20th and Monday 21st May. Sea water over the berm both days. Water level at the Bridge was 1.45m Leonie Mugavin |
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18-05-2018 |
Unusual/Extraordinary occurrence! The high 1.8m tide at 2.08pm broke over the berm and sea water entered the estuary. Not a lot of sea water but it looked like it may have happened a few times this week as there was quite a lot of seaweed over the berm. Estuary height was 1.4m Leonie Mugavin |
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18-04-2018 |
Tides High tide of 1.6m today saw the sea water break the berm. Not very much sea water into the estuary but higher tides are expected for the rest of the week. The estuary water level was 1.3m Leonie Mugavin |
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05-02-2018 |
Water level On Monday February 5, Barwon Water increased releases from the Painkalac Reservoir into Painkalac Creek from 0.6-0.7 Mega Litres of water per day to 2 Mega Litres of water per day. Releases will return to 0.6-0.7 Mega Litres of water per day on Thursday February 8. This release of water is called a “Low Flow Fresh”. A “Low Flow Fresh” is a small amount of water released over a short period of time (1-3 days). This release of water mimics a localised rainfall event during a time when there is low freshwater flow (Dec-March). The aim of the release is to maintain summer/autumn water quality, flush sediments from potential egg laying sites in the lead up to autumn fish breeding season and provide some depth variability on surfaces of large wood in the river channel. If you would like to learn more about the water releases from the Painkalac Reservoir I suggest you have a read of this report written in 2008 http://www.ccmaknowledgebase.vic.gov.au/resources/Painkalac_Creek_Recommendations_Paper_Final.pdf The Victorian Environmental Water Holder also has some fantastic videos on the topic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n2_UtsRh6w&index=11&list=UUaG0oi6DPFnk2PjkOQYXV1g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6QLLNsc3nk&index=6&list=UUaG0oi6DPFnk2PjkOQYXV1g Rose Herben |
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01-12-2017 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Permitted artificial estuary opening. Opening was conducted due to avoid localised flooding. Significant rain on the way for the next three days – 90-95% chance of up to 30 mm each of Friday through Sunday. Rose Herben |
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20-08-2017 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Artificial opening of the estuary happened sometime in the afternoon of Saturday 19th August. Water level 0.9m AHD Sunday 20th at 10.30am Leonie Mugavin |
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19-08-2017 |
Weather Event Some flooding around the Painkalac Estuary. High tide around 10.45am and the sea water almost breaking the berm. Water level 2.1m AHD Leonie Mugavin |
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13-08-2017 |
Unusual/Extraordinary occurrence! Coastal Court monitoring platform found to be underwater. Monitoring not conducted. Water noted to be flowing, gently downstream (outward flow). Jacqui Arnott |
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23-07-2017 |
Water level Estuary opened. Water level 1.5m AHD. Rose Herben |
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23-07-2017 |
Water level The estuary today was quite tidal in that it filled up at high tide and was emptied at low tide. It was going up and down at least half a metre. For example, very low at 9:30 and quite full at 12:30. Rose Herben |
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22-07-2017 |
Estuary Entrance Opening The Painkalac Creek estuary has opened to the sea. Water level 0.85m AHD. Rose Herben |
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21-07-2017 |
Estuary Entrance Closure Painkalac Creek estuary closed. Water level 1.55m AHD. Sea water overtopping the berm. Rose Herben |
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16-07-2017 |
Estuary Entrance Opening These photos show changes at the estuary 24 hours after an artificial opening on 15.07.17. Water depth 0.83m AHD. Leonie Mugavin |
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15-07-2017 |
Unusual/Extraordinary occurrence! Monitoring platform at Coastal court was underwater. Estuary had been artificially opened at this stage, but yet to have an effect upstream. Jacqui Arnott |
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15-07-2017 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Estuary opened by Surf Coast Shire at low tide. Quite a shallow opening created to allow for a slow flow out to sea. Water level 1.9m AHD at the bridge prior to opening. Leonie Mugavin |
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15-07-2017 |
Water level We were unable to do our monitoring as Butler's Bend was underwater. I have taken 3 photos, 1 - taken at 10:30am 15/7/17. The creek mouth was opened around 11:45am., 2 - taken 17:15pm 15/7/17 3 - taken 10:30am 16/7/17. I think it is amazing how quickly the creek dropped in level. Rose Herben |
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10-06-2017 |
Unusual/Extraordinary occurrence! Coastal Court monitoring platform submerged, so did not attempt to monitor at that site. Jacqui Arnott |
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29-05-2017 |
Unusual/Extraordinary occurrence! High tide 1.9m breaks the berm at Painkalac estuary entrance Leonie Mugavin |
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30-04-2017 |
Fishing platform repair Repaired Coastal Court boat ramp Leonie Mugavin |
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29-04-2017 |
Unusual/Extraordinary occurrence! An angler fishing near the mouth of Painkalac Creek, after the opening of the mouth caught and released an 8kg Estuarine Perch and said that there were a number of large Australian Salmon as well. Rose Herben |
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26-04-2017 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Painkalac Estuary mouth the day after an artificial opening by Council Leonie Mugavin |
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25-04-2017 |
Weather Event Large amount of exchange between the estuary and the sea at high tide (10:08, 1.35m). Rose Herben |
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24-04-2017 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Artificial estuary opening. Water level was last as 1.78m AHD on 22.04.2017. Rose Herben |
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22-04-2017 |
Water level Water level was 1.78m AHD. EstuaryWatch monitoring could not be completed at Butlers Bend (P4) due to high water level. Rose Herben |
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22-04-2017 |
Unusual/Extraordinary occurrence! Water looks blue at P4 the "Bend". pH 5 and EC 10.18 mS/cm at surface Deirdre Murphy |
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17-12-2016 |
Unusual/Extraordinary occurrence! Today water quality monitoring could not be conducted at the Coastal Court fishing platform due to high water levels. This is the second month in a row that the fishing platform has been flooded ont the day of EstuaryWatch monitoring. Water level 1.62m AHD. rherben |
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22-07-2016 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Emergency artificial estuary opening. Water level got to 2.2m AHD on July 22. On July 23 the water level was 2.12m AHD at 13:32 and 1.97m AHD at 14:40. Rose Herben |
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03-05-2016 |
Weather Event Large swell predicted for the south west coast of Victoria on Tuesday May 3. Painkalac Creek water level was 0.68m AHD on Tuesday May 3. Rose Herben |
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09-01-2016 |
Community Event surf club nippers swimming in the esturary Phillip Wilson |
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09-05-2015 |
Unusual/Extraordinary occurrence! Inflow event at peak tide, 1.5 - 2 meter swell. Sea water over topping the berm. Mark Shepherd |
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04-12-2014 |
Community Event Rose and Belinda caught up for a coffee to go through some training on data entry. Had a delicious lemon slice. Belinda Sharrock |
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23-09-2014 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Here are some photos of changes to the Painkalac mouth over the last few days. Last night¿s thunderstorm dumped about 13mm rain here - just enough to open it as the berm was pretty low.. The AHD readings were 20.8.14 - 1.60m @14.50 hrs 23.8.14 - 1.66m@ 13.15 hrs 24.8.14 - 1.00m @ 11.45hrs. Just before midday today, the river water was still flowing out when the tide had just changed (HT 10.56hrs). Regards Dennis Rose Herben |
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01-08-2014 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Emergency artificial opening conducted by Surf Coast Shire 4:30pm 2.00 AHD. Rose Herben |
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25-07-2014 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Estuary artificially opened 2.00 AHD Rose Herben |
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11-07-2014 |
Estuary Entrance Closure I took these photos at about 12.30 today. There are 3 of the usual sites plus one from Inlet Crescent looking out through the mouth. I didn't walk down to the Inlet to check there was no water running out on the lighthouse side, but i asked some people who had just walked up and they said there was no channel going out, but they thought the sea maybe running over the berm, so dare I ask, is that perched or not?!!!! In addiction I took a zoom photo of the Fairhaven side sand dune where several people were sliding etc. I will speak to Gorcc and send them the photo as well as to you, and ask that they could fence it off,as high priority. It is in their Management plan to do so. Rose Herben |
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02-07-2014 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Artificial estuary opening at 1.8 AHD Rose Herben |
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30-06-2014 |
Weather Event see attached pics of hight tide inflow over sandbar taken at high tide (2pm) on monday 30th June on my iphone (hence the poor quality). Rose Herben |
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24-06-2014 |
Weather Event These photos were taken at 12.50 on Tuesday 24.6.2014 during a storm surge The berm was under water from incoming windblown sea - the tide was receding at the time. Unfortunately, my camera didn¿t take the open mouth shot and I couldn¿t see the screen properly because I was being blown about so violently by the wind! The third photo was taken from the lookout at the top of Reserve Road. Rose Herben |
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24-11-2013 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Artificial Estuary Opening 24/11/2013 I viewed the sandbar on Saturday 5pm and saw the lake perched with barely 10cm height of bar above lake level. The lake itself was the highest I have seen it. Viewing the lake again on Sunday afternoon the sand bar had been washed through with the channel approximately 2 meters below the top of the remaining bar and the creek flowing strongly. The outflow must have been very substantial at the event given the width of the erosion (into the sand dune) and the depth of the channel. It is interesting to see how a secondary sand bar has formed approximately 30 meters seaward of the original bar with the creek looping at the outflow. Upcoming analysis of the creek will be interesting given the extent of the flushing of the creek by this dramatic event. Rose Herben |
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27-07-2013 |
Unusual/Extraordinary occurrence! Barbara & I went to see the Inlet yesterday ¿ Saturday, and caught the tide at almost exactly High! I've attached some photos of the situation then. The estuary was still officially closed and not perched as the water just coming over the berm was incoming from the tide. A few minutes later no water came over so we believed the tide had turned. We checked the AHD at the bridge - that was 1.75m. All this was very interesting to us as we'd never seen this before. Regards Dennis Rose Herben |
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12-07-2013 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Artificial opening 2.2AHD. Rose Herben |
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21-06-2013 |
Estuary Entrance Opening Estuary was artificially opened. 1.91 AHD Rose Herben |
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11-08-2012 |
Estuary Entrance Opening The Painkalac Creek was artificially opened. The water level prior to it being opened was 1.9m. Rose Herben |
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