June 23 flood stage = 2.126m!!

Today I visited Takiya River to get the data from last week's flood, and to check for any damage. Luckily there was no damage, but there was a large pile of debris hooked around the staff gauge. I cleaned it all away and better secured some wiring with nylon ties.

Staff gauge covered in debris

I could just about wade in the river to take a discharge measurement. I suspect the stage-discharge relationship (H-Q curve) has changed as there seemed to be a fresh accumulation of gravelly sediment in the channel. As often occurs after heavy rain, the water temperature had dropped down so that it was quite cold (14.4C), and the warm humid air above produced a strange fog over the river (see also Miomote River photos below).

Stage = 75cm, air temp. = 18.3C, water temp. = 14.4C

Below I have plotted the hydrograph for the few days around the June 23 big flood event, when peak stage reached 2.126m, about equal 3rd highest flood stage since monitoring began in September 2000. Note how the precipitation intensities of >8mm/10 minutes caused the two largest peaks during the flood.


Stage hydrograph with Miomote (Amedas) precipitation data



Miomote River at Nunobe, below confluence with Takiya River (left)

Miomote River with Takiya River basin in centre-ground between mountains