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Straits Times
05-07-2025
- Climate
- Straits Times
Lake in Australian desert springs to life as devastating floods leave silver lining
Waters approaching the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre in the Australian state of South Australia, and parts of the lake that are filling up. SYDNEY – In the driest region of the world's driest inhabited continent, a vast inland lake that is typically dry is slowly filling with water, marking a rare event that is set to transform the desert region and attract birdlife from as far away as China. The outback lake, Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, which is about 12 times the size of Singapore, is in central Australia, about 750km north of the city of Adelaide. Typically, the lake, which has filled up to capacity only three times in the past 160 years, is a flat, dry salt pan that receives just 140 millimetres of rain a year. But waters from massive floods in the state of Queensland hundreds of kilometres to the north-east, in March and April, have been slowly making their way along a sprawling network of waterways towards Lake Eyre, which marks the lowest point on the continent. The lake has started to fill and could even surpass the levels of the last such event in 1974, when it reached a depth of six metres, the largest filling of the lake, which would make it the most full that it has been in recorded history. A local pilot, Mr Trevor Wright, who operates sightseeing planes and an accommodation village at Lake Eyre, told The Straits Times that the volumes of water pouring into the lake were 'amazing' and that the area was already attracting flourishing birdlife. 'All this water is flooding into the lake and there is more to come,' he said, adding: ''74 was the big one – it is starting to feel like that. There is a good chance it will get to that level. If not, it will be very close.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore CPF members can make housing, retirement and health insurance plans with new digital platform Singapore CPF's central philosophy of self-reliance remains as pertinent as ever: SM Lee Asia Dalai Lama hopes to live beyond 130 years, much longer than predicted Singapore Tan Cheng Bock, Hazel Poa step down from PSP leadership; party launches 'renewal plan' Sport Liverpool will move on after Jota's tragic death, but he will never be forgotten Singapore As her muscles weaken, 26-year-old leans on best friend for strength and support Life Japanese food in Singapore under $20: 5 hawker stalls serving restaurant-quality sashimi and donburi Asia Dream wheels, Malaysian deals: Singaporean car lovers find affordable indulgence across the border The filling of the lake, which covers more than 9,000 sq km, is set to turn the area into a hub of wildlife, including various species of fish and millions of birds such as pelicans, ducks and seagulls that can arrive from across South-east Asia, China and Papua New Guinea. Other wildlife include invertebrates such as brine shrimp, whose fertilised eggs can sit beneath the salt pan for decades until the arrival of water, which enables them to hatch. Boom in bird populations expected The water in the lake triggers a food web that starts with the generation of 'algae and plankton – and then things take off', an expert on dryland rivers, Professor Fran Sheldon, Head of the School of Environment and Science at Griffith University, told The Straits Times. She said the filling of the lake could help to address declines in bird populations that have been occurring in recent decades due to loss of habitat, mainly caused by urban development and farming. 'For birds, this is a massive boom in their populations,' she said. 'They can do multiple generations while the lake is flooded. This can help them to build up decent numbers for the dry seasons.' Scientists are still trying to understand how birds know that Lake Eyre has water. But the phenomenon is not a sure guarantee of survival for the birds. 'These very erratic events help to keep the populations going, but they may not be the saviour for all,' Prof Sheldon noted. Earlier in 2025, when the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre in the Australian state of South Australia was dry. PHOTO: SUPPLIED BY WRIGHTSAIR Much of the water arriving at the lake has come from northern and western Queensland, which experienced devastating floods that led to the losses of an estimated 100,000 head of cattle, sheep and goats and caused damage worth tens of millions of dollars. But the waters, which have been travelling hundreds of kilometres at roughly walking pace, are proving a boon for the lake region. Water to evaporate in one to two years The water is likely to stay in the lake and gradually evaporate over the next one to two years, an expert on resource management and climate change, Professor Steve Turton, from Central Queensland University, told The Straits Times. The water will evaporate at a rate of about 1.5m to 2m in depth each year, and there will also be loss of water due to seepage, he said. 'The ecosystems will go absolutely crazy out there,' he said. 'Eventually it will dry up.' The water is likely to stay in the lake and gradually evaporate over the next one to two years. PHOTO: SUPPLIED BY WRIGHTSAIR Prof Turton said the current filling of Lake Eyre is unusual because it involves rains that did not fall during a La Niña weather event – which would usually bring more rain – and did not fall during summer. He said climate change has increased air temperatures, which is boosting the amount of water vapour in the air and causing massive rain events such as the flooding in Queensland. He said global warming will add to evaporation and so will not necessarily make the filling of Lake Eyre more frequent, but could lead to it filling to ever new record levels. 'I think it will remain a very erratic system,' he said. 'It (the filling of the lake) will be driven by individual events, but when the events do come along, they are likely to be more extreme.' Though the lake partially filled in 2010 and 2019, it has only ever reached capacity in 1950, 1974 and 1984 since records began in the 1860s. But it is now expected to fill by October, when its levels are set to peak. Mr Wright said the spectacle, and the wildlife, have already begun to attract tourists to the remote area, where the summer temperatures can exceed 50 deg C. Despite the remote location, there are some outback hotels nearby and several operators offering scenic flights. 'We have had this catastrophic incident in Queensland, but it is great for the reinvigoration of the environment,' Mr Wright said. 'Where else can you see on the driest state in the driest continent this amount of water? It is just amazing.'
The Advertiser
02-06-2025
- The Advertiser
Lake flood spectacle a magnet for wildlife, tourists
Millions of birds and tens of thousands of tourists are predicted to flock to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre as floodwaters put on a once-in-a-generation spectacular. Floodwaters from Queensland's record-breaking autumn rain are flowing into the usually dry 9500sq km salt lake in South Australia, from the Warburton, Cooper and Diamantina river systems. Pilot Trevor Wright, who owns Wrightsair in William Creek, said it is the biggest flood he'd seen in his 32 years there, "and I have no hesitation in saying that we're going to see a sight with the lake we haven't seen in many decades". What really struck Mr Wright and others was the volume of water and its speed. "This is really different from anything we've had in the past, because it's been a much later season, temperatures have dropped dramatically, so you're not getting the evaporation rate caused by heat or wind and (the lake) will hold water much better." There were hundreds of tourists in William Creek, which is 820km north of Adelaide, "and I think there'll be tens of thousands of people coming up here to experience it", Mr Wright said. Floodwaters cover the lake once every eight years on average, but it has only filled to capacity three times in the last 160 years. The largest recorded filling of the lake was in 1974 when it reached a depth of 6m, and Mr Wright believed this event could rival it. He said the Cooper Creek flow rates at the Nappa Merrie Bridge, near the Queensland border, had reportedly surpassed the 1974 flow rates, before the recording equipment stopped operating. Amid an explosion of life and vegetation, the filling lake is a magnet for migratory birds including pelicans, cormorants, ibises, egrets, spoonbills, ducks and native hens. "The fishing will be incredible," Mr Wright said. The lake could potentially host an estimated 5.5 million birds, including 55 varieties of wading birds, and Mr Wright believed there was potential for three nestings of pelicans, which hadn't been seen since 1974. "What it will do for the bird life, plant life, insects, everything, is incredible, and it'll last into next year." Locals were excited because they had been expecting a dramatic downturn this year, he said. "No one expected this much rain and it's a godsend," he said. As much of southern Australia battles drought, Mr Wright said he "really feels for" the farmers. "There's just such a disparity," he said. Mr Wright has employed eight extra pilots to help handle the influx of tourists, and he's also bought the Cessna Caravan which adventurer Dick Smith used to twice circumnavigate the globe. A new management plan for Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park, released in February, bans recreational access to the lakebed, including walking. Visitors can view the lake from the air and at areas such as the Halligan Bay Point Campground. Traditional owners, the Arabana people, were granted native title over land covering most of the lake in 2012. Millions of birds and tens of thousands of tourists are predicted to flock to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre as floodwaters put on a once-in-a-generation spectacular. Floodwaters from Queensland's record-breaking autumn rain are flowing into the usually dry 9500sq km salt lake in South Australia, from the Warburton, Cooper and Diamantina river systems. Pilot Trevor Wright, who owns Wrightsair in William Creek, said it is the biggest flood he'd seen in his 32 years there, "and I have no hesitation in saying that we're going to see a sight with the lake we haven't seen in many decades". What really struck Mr Wright and others was the volume of water and its speed. "This is really different from anything we've had in the past, because it's been a much later season, temperatures have dropped dramatically, so you're not getting the evaporation rate caused by heat or wind and (the lake) will hold water much better." There were hundreds of tourists in William Creek, which is 820km north of Adelaide, "and I think there'll be tens of thousands of people coming up here to experience it", Mr Wright said. Floodwaters cover the lake once every eight years on average, but it has only filled to capacity three times in the last 160 years. The largest recorded filling of the lake was in 1974 when it reached a depth of 6m, and Mr Wright believed this event could rival it. He said the Cooper Creek flow rates at the Nappa Merrie Bridge, near the Queensland border, had reportedly surpassed the 1974 flow rates, before the recording equipment stopped operating. Amid an explosion of life and vegetation, the filling lake is a magnet for migratory birds including pelicans, cormorants, ibises, egrets, spoonbills, ducks and native hens. "The fishing will be incredible," Mr Wright said. The lake could potentially host an estimated 5.5 million birds, including 55 varieties of wading birds, and Mr Wright believed there was potential for three nestings of pelicans, which hadn't been seen since 1974. "What it will do for the bird life, plant life, insects, everything, is incredible, and it'll last into next year." Locals were excited because they had been expecting a dramatic downturn this year, he said. "No one expected this much rain and it's a godsend," he said. As much of southern Australia battles drought, Mr Wright said he "really feels for" the farmers. "There's just such a disparity," he said. Mr Wright has employed eight extra pilots to help handle the influx of tourists, and he's also bought the Cessna Caravan which adventurer Dick Smith used to twice circumnavigate the globe. A new management plan for Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park, released in February, bans recreational access to the lakebed, including walking. Visitors can view the lake from the air and at areas such as the Halligan Bay Point Campground. Traditional owners, the Arabana people, were granted native title over land covering most of the lake in 2012. Millions of birds and tens of thousands of tourists are predicted to flock to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre as floodwaters put on a once-in-a-generation spectacular. Floodwaters from Queensland's record-breaking autumn rain are flowing into the usually dry 9500sq km salt lake in South Australia, from the Warburton, Cooper and Diamantina river systems. Pilot Trevor Wright, who owns Wrightsair in William Creek, said it is the biggest flood he'd seen in his 32 years there, "and I have no hesitation in saying that we're going to see a sight with the lake we haven't seen in many decades". What really struck Mr Wright and others was the volume of water and its speed. "This is really different from anything we've had in the past, because it's been a much later season, temperatures have dropped dramatically, so you're not getting the evaporation rate caused by heat or wind and (the lake) will hold water much better." There were hundreds of tourists in William Creek, which is 820km north of Adelaide, "and I think there'll be tens of thousands of people coming up here to experience it", Mr Wright said. Floodwaters cover the lake once every eight years on average, but it has only filled to capacity three times in the last 160 years. The largest recorded filling of the lake was in 1974 when it reached a depth of 6m, and Mr Wright believed this event could rival it. He said the Cooper Creek flow rates at the Nappa Merrie Bridge, near the Queensland border, had reportedly surpassed the 1974 flow rates, before the recording equipment stopped operating. Amid an explosion of life and vegetation, the filling lake is a magnet for migratory birds including pelicans, cormorants, ibises, egrets, spoonbills, ducks and native hens. "The fishing will be incredible," Mr Wright said. The lake could potentially host an estimated 5.5 million birds, including 55 varieties of wading birds, and Mr Wright believed there was potential for three nestings of pelicans, which hadn't been seen since 1974. "What it will do for the bird life, plant life, insects, everything, is incredible, and it'll last into next year." Locals were excited because they had been expecting a dramatic downturn this year, he said. "No one expected this much rain and it's a godsend," he said. As much of southern Australia battles drought, Mr Wright said he "really feels for" the farmers. "There's just such a disparity," he said. Mr Wright has employed eight extra pilots to help handle the influx of tourists, and he's also bought the Cessna Caravan which adventurer Dick Smith used to twice circumnavigate the globe. A new management plan for Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park, released in February, bans recreational access to the lakebed, including walking. Visitors can view the lake from the air and at areas such as the Halligan Bay Point Campground. Traditional owners, the Arabana people, were granted native title over land covering most of the lake in 2012. Millions of birds and tens of thousands of tourists are predicted to flock to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre as floodwaters put on a once-in-a-generation spectacular. Floodwaters from Queensland's record-breaking autumn rain are flowing into the usually dry 9500sq km salt lake in South Australia, from the Warburton, Cooper and Diamantina river systems. Pilot Trevor Wright, who owns Wrightsair in William Creek, said it is the biggest flood he'd seen in his 32 years there, "and I have no hesitation in saying that we're going to see a sight with the lake we haven't seen in many decades". What really struck Mr Wright and others was the volume of water and its speed. "This is really different from anything we've had in the past, because it's been a much later season, temperatures have dropped dramatically, so you're not getting the evaporation rate caused by heat or wind and (the lake) will hold water much better." There were hundreds of tourists in William Creek, which is 820km north of Adelaide, "and I think there'll be tens of thousands of people coming up here to experience it", Mr Wright said. Floodwaters cover the lake once every eight years on average, but it has only filled to capacity three times in the last 160 years. The largest recorded filling of the lake was in 1974 when it reached a depth of 6m, and Mr Wright believed this event could rival it. He said the Cooper Creek flow rates at the Nappa Merrie Bridge, near the Queensland border, had reportedly surpassed the 1974 flow rates, before the recording equipment stopped operating. Amid an explosion of life and vegetation, the filling lake is a magnet for migratory birds including pelicans, cormorants, ibises, egrets, spoonbills, ducks and native hens. "The fishing will be incredible," Mr Wright said. The lake could potentially host an estimated 5.5 million birds, including 55 varieties of wading birds, and Mr Wright believed there was potential for three nestings of pelicans, which hadn't been seen since 1974. "What it will do for the bird life, plant life, insects, everything, is incredible, and it'll last into next year." Locals were excited because they had been expecting a dramatic downturn this year, he said. "No one expected this much rain and it's a godsend," he said. As much of southern Australia battles drought, Mr Wright said he "really feels for" the farmers. "There's just such a disparity," he said. Mr Wright has employed eight extra pilots to help handle the influx of tourists, and he's also bought the Cessna Caravan which adventurer Dick Smith used to twice circumnavigate the globe. A new management plan for Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park, released in February, bans recreational access to the lakebed, including walking. Visitors can view the lake from the air and at areas such as the Halligan Bay Point Campground. Traditional owners, the Arabana people, were granted native title over land covering most of the lake in 2012.
West Australian
02-06-2025
- West Australian
Lake flood spectacle a magnet for wildlife, tourists
Millions of birds and tens of thousands of tourists are predicted to flock to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre as floodwaters put on a once-in-a-generation spectacular. Floodwaters from Queensland's record-breaking autumn rain are flowing into the usually dry 9500sq km salt lake in South Australia, from the Warburton, Cooper and Diamantina river systems. Pilot Trevor Wright, who owns Wrightsair in William Creek, said it is the biggest flood he'd seen in his 32 years there, "and I have no hesitation in saying that we're going to see a sight with the lake we haven't seen in many decades". What really struck Mr Wright and others was the volume of water and its speed. "This is really different from anything we've had in the past, because it's been a much later season, temperatures have dropped dramatically, so you're not getting the evaporation rate caused by heat or wind and (the lake) will hold water much better." There were hundreds of tourists in William Creek, which is 820km north of Adelaide, "and I think there'll be tens of thousands of people coming up here to experience it", Mr Wright said. Floodwaters cover the lake once every eight years on average, but it has only filled to capacity three times in the last 160 years. The largest recorded filling of the lake was in 1974 when it reached a depth of 6m, and Mr Wright believed this event could rival it. He said the Cooper Creek flow rates at the Nappa Merrie Bridge, near the Queensland border, had reportedly surpassed the 1974 flow rates, before the recording equipment stopped operating. Amid an explosion of life and vegetation, the filling lake is a magnet for migratory birds including pelicans, cormorants, ibises, egrets, spoonbills, ducks and native hens. "The fishing will be incredible," Mr Wright said. The lake could potentially host an estimated 5.5 million birds, including 55 varieties of wading birds, and Mr Wright believed there was potential for three nestings of pelicans, which hadn't been seen since 1974. "What it will do for the bird life, plant life, insects, everything, is incredible, and it'll last into next year." Locals were excited because they had been expecting a dramatic downturn this year, he said. "No one expected this much rain and it's a godsend," he said. As much of southern Australia battles drought, Mr Wright said he "really feels for" the farmers. "There's just such a disparity," he said. Mr Wright has employed eight extra pilots to help handle the influx of tourists, and he's also bought the Cessna Caravan which adventurer Dick Smith used to twice circumnavigate the globe. A new management plan for Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park, released in February, bans recreational access to the lakebed, including walking. Visitors can view the lake from the air and at areas such as the Halligan Bay Point Campground. Traditional owners, the Arabana people, were granted native title over land covering most of the lake in 2012.
Perth Now
02-06-2025
- Perth Now
Lake flood spectacle a magnet for wildlife, tourists
Millions of birds and tens of thousands of tourists are predicted to flock to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre as floodwaters put on a once-in-a-generation spectacular. Floodwaters from Queensland's record-breaking autumn rain are flowing into the usually dry 9500sq km salt lake in South Australia, from the Warburton, Cooper and Diamantina river systems. Pilot Trevor Wright, who owns Wrightsair in William Creek, said it is the biggest flood he'd seen in his 32 years there, "and I have no hesitation in saying that we're going to see a sight with the lake we haven't seen in many decades". What really struck Mr Wright and others was the volume of water and its speed. "This is really different from anything we've had in the past, because it's been a much later season, temperatures have dropped dramatically, so you're not getting the evaporation rate caused by heat or wind and (the lake) will hold water much better." There were hundreds of tourists in William Creek, which is 820km north of Adelaide, "and I think there'll be tens of thousands of people coming up here to experience it", Mr Wright said. Floodwaters cover the lake once every eight years on average, but it has only filled to capacity three times in the last 160 years. The largest recorded filling of the lake was in 1974 when it reached a depth of 6m, and Mr Wright believed this event could rival it. He said the Cooper Creek flow rates at the Nappa Merrie Bridge, near the Queensland border, had reportedly surpassed the 1974 flow rates, before the recording equipment stopped operating. Amid an explosion of life and vegetation, the filling lake is a magnet for migratory birds including pelicans, cormorants, ibises, egrets, spoonbills, ducks and native hens. "The fishing will be incredible," Mr Wright said. The lake could potentially host an estimated 5.5 million birds, including 55 varieties of wading birds, and Mr Wright believed there was potential for three nestings of pelicans, which hadn't been seen since 1974. "What it will do for the bird life, plant life, insects, everything, is incredible, and it'll last into next year." Locals were excited because they had been expecting a dramatic downturn this year, he said. "No one expected this much rain and it's a godsend," he said. As much of southern Australia battles drought, Mr Wright said he "really feels for" the farmers. "There's just such a disparity," he said. Mr Wright has employed eight extra pilots to help handle the influx of tourists, and he's also bought the Cessna Caravan which adventurer Dick Smith used to twice circumnavigate the globe. A new management plan for Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park, released in February, bans recreational access to the lakebed, including walking. Visitors can view the lake from the air and at areas such as the Halligan Bay Point Campground. Traditional owners, the Arabana people, were granted native title over land covering most of the lake in 2012.
The Guardian
08-05-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Flood waters pour into Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre in rare spectacle ‘supercharged by climate change'
A pulse of flood water has surged into Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre in what could be the most significant top-up in a generation. The sacred site of the Arabana people is home to rivers and creeks that drain towards the second largest salt lake in the world. Its surrounding basin sprawls across 1.2m sq km , or just under one-sixth of Australia's landmass. After months of record-breaking rainfall and widespread flooding across inland Queensland, dark, serpentine channels of flowing water have reached the South Australian outback. The downpours that engulfed Queensland forced some residents in remote communities to evacuate and cut others off for weeks. The flood zone covered an expanse four times the size of the UK. The water coursing south through inland river systems will dissolve the usually salty crust to produce an inland sea. Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre contains the country's lowest point, at 15.2 metres below sea level. Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton's Clear Air column as a free newsletter Trevor Wright, an outback pilot and owner of Wrightsair who has flown over the region since 1992, said he had never seen anything like it. 'It's amazing in the sheer volume and speed at which [the flood water is] travelling over the countryside,' he said. With cooler temperatures forecast, Wright said he expected the water to persist for months due to slow evaporation. 'We're starting to see a lot of birdlife and a fair few wild animals heading down towards the water,' he said, listing camels, dingoes and feral pigs among the early arrivals. The pilot acknowledged 'catastrophic' environmental damage in Queensland, but said it was incredible to see the subsequent impact of the flood water, with native vegetation beginning to flourish and animal populations expected to boom. From a bird's-eye view, the water appears like a dark ribbon moving across the desert – a rare spectacle of cool tones in the hot, arid region. Images taken by Paul Hoelen overlooking the northern part of the lake reveal a kaleidoscope of blue, green, yellow and silver. The aerial photographer has documented the region for more than a decade and was among the first to capture the flood waters continuing their slow march toward Lake Eyre's vast salt pan. Sign up to Clear Air Australia Adam Morton brings you incisive analysis about the politics and impact of the climate crisis after newsletter promotion Hoelen said it could be the largest flood event at the lake this century. The photographer said he expected the event to unfold in bursts of colour, movement and life before an inevitable, 'poetic' drying out. 'There will be many faces to this,' he said. 'It's an explosion of the cycle of life and death, and we're only at the first act.' While the spectacle is captivating, experts warned of the ecosystem's fragility. Dr Helen Scott-Orr, a former inspector general of biosecurity and chief veterinary officer of New South Wales, said the flood waters would temporarily create a 'feast' for animals – including frogs, fish and migratory birds such as pelicans – but die-offs were likely when evaporation set in. 'This extraordinary display of nature has been supercharged by climate change,' she said.
