I was recently in touch with the WA Dept of Water and asked – With respect to the rain event and associated floods over SW WA on 19, 20, 21 of January 2016 – “do you have a figure for the extra GL that ran to the sea because of that rainfall?” The reply – [The department does not have information directly on the additional flow as no stream gauges are that close to Augusta. If you analyse the flow from the sites feeding in the Blackwood it will give you some idea of the output 609002, 609019, 609022, 609060, 609065 These five gauges are in that area.]
Assuming rain of say 100mm over a 200 x 200km square (40,000 sq km) that would tally 4,000GL falling free from the sky. Full map.
When I have time I will do some checking of stream gauge data. I find it amazing that in the days after a significant rain event that basic parameters would not be extracted and maybe a memo sent around.
I recall years ago a WA Premier said rain had stopped in the south west.
Every news item on water refers to “our drying climate” or similar.
If you Google –
[carpenter the rain has stopped falling in south west]
You get the quotes by Premier Carpenter from the WA Hansard in 2007.
I do wonder if when the full history of how the WA Govt water policy came about is written and understood – it might be seen that the entire episode is up there with the list of worst and most expensive Govt mismanagement in Australian history. Keeping in mind that Perth water policy was always quoted when the eastern states desalination plants were being argued for. The full cost might be ~$20billion ?