Willandra Weir, Lachlan River, New South Wales 1896

Title: Willandra Weir, Lachlan River

Excerpt from an article titled Water Conservation, Irrigation, and Drainage by H. G. McKinney, M. Inst. C.E., Chief Engineer for Water Conservation  - published in "New South Wales: the mother colony of the Australias" (1896) 

The Willandra Billabong in its natural state flowed only during the short and uncertain periods when the Lachlan was in flood. In this case, also, the pastoralists expended a large amount in improving the effluent channel; but the results were not commensurate with the expenditure. When the Government took up the matter, it was found that in addition to further improvements of the creek channel it was necessary to construct a weir, so as to raise the surface level of the River Lachlan about 12 feet at the outflow. A cribwork weir was accordingly constructed, and its effect has been that a portion of the waters of the Lachlan has flowed almost without intermission in the Willandra Billabong since the weir was completed nearly five years ago. This weir, which has successfully stood through an exceptional series of floods, and has thoroughly fulfilled its object, is shown in the accompanying view. As the river rises, the difference in level above and below the weir diminishes; hence, as the view was taken when there was a considerable depth of water in the river, a large portion of the weir was covered. As the course of the Willandra Billabong extends through a fertile but very dry district to a distance of considerably over a hundred miles in a direct line from its head on the River Lachlan, its importance for water supply purposes is obvious.

Provenance: "New South Wales: the mother colony of the Australias". Frank Hutchinson, Edited by F. Hutchinson.
Author: Frank Hutchinson
Date of Publication: 1896
Publisher: C. Potter
Place of Publishing: Sydney
Copyright status: This work is out of copyright
Courtesy: The British Library