Why do we have floods? Do we need floods?
Floods are nature's way of renewing its soul. Floods have existed before man walked the earth. We see evidence of ancient lakes, flood plains, and rivers, which tell us that flooding is shifting with changes in climate, with the movement of the earth's crust and with the action of humans.

From ancient times when humans were nomadic, floods were not a problem. Only when humans began to work the land and settled in one location, usually near rivers and lakes, rising water became a problem.

When country roads become congested, we build highways, when highways can no longer cope with the volume we build freeways, when freeways choke the towns we build by-passes.

But when water floods our homes, we sit, we cry, we complain and expect compensation.

We live in flood areas by choice. The rivers and flood plains were there first. If we don't like it we can move or build free-flows and by-passes for the water with large containment basins for flood control.

New branch troughs, wide and shallow which do not detract from the natural landscape and can be used for farming will take the water on a fast and by-pass route to the oceans. Inland by pass-towns and spill into flood plains.

It is important to express any ideas on flood control no matter how irrational they might seem so the government would take note and react. What do you suggest?

I am assuming a flood never flowed through your home Aquarius?
It never has been through mine, so I am not really sure how I would deal with it.

I would suggest that Governments in Australia financially help flood victims because they originally allowed the land their houses are built on to be cleared for housing.
There would also be a humanitarian reason too, given that we can afford to help the victims.

I think that the horse has already bolted with the current metro housing developments and the country town/rural houses already in existence.

We simply have to wear the damage from floods until we can come up with ways to divert floods from vulnerable developed areas.

I think that once a flood has been through an area more than once, then maybe the increased insurance premiums would be a deterrent for building there again?

Then, if the Government release land elsewhere to build new houses or even a whole new town, then they should be totally responsible if devastating floods deluge those areas?

If this was law, then the Government should make certain that areas released for housing are built in suitable areas?

Dear Suze,

I've just read your post and I believe that Aquarius is trying to solicit ideas how to control and overcome floods in areas of
existing development.

Anyway, it's late and I'll think of a few things some time tomorrow.

After years and years of having to deal with floods and unexpected water flows I can comment.
Some times we need to understand not every thing is within human understanding.
I have seen homes built on creek banks and flooded 4 times each year.
Believe me, water has great power.
Most on buying that first home put danger way back in the head, some activly look for closeness to water as a reason to buy.
Land owners sell, they want cash no involvement with future problems.
Real estate salesmen councils, often the same people ,care nothing about future.
Nanny state? maybe but developers can and do buy those who say yes or no, a prison term for this would go along way toward less building in such areas.
Nothing we put in the way of water can be seen as safe.

In his book 'Back from the Brink' Peter Andrews explained that the rivers of Australia ran over the land in times of flood, overflowing from one basin to another thus allowing much water to be absorbed below the surface where it continued to travel more slowly down the slopes.
It was European settlers who drained the country and channelled the rivers thus creating deep, eroded watercourses. They then put dams on the rivers both to store water for towns and irrigation, but also as flood mitigation. When the water no longer spread out over the grassland cities grew up on this land, which now flood in times when the flow can't be channelled between the banks of the deep, eroded watercourses that are our modern rivers.
The same thing has happened in countries like the USA where dike have been built to channel the Missippi River, thus creating a deep watercourse. All this channelled water in times of flood will break the levee banks.
The problems begin not with rainfall, but the way our rivers have been channelled.
As a country woman who has always lived in houses built on high ground my experience of flood damage only applies to having fences washed away, but I do know that every drought is followed by a flood.

Aquarius

Country Girl has explained all, most succinctly.