AN evacuation warning was issued for Karadoc on Sunday as the Murray River flood peak approached Mildura, more roads were closed over the weekend, and pumps were set up to manage city stormwater, which is no longer able to flow out through blocked drains.
The river end of Etiwanda Avenue is among roads to have been closed as water spreads across it towards the Etiwanda Wetlands and a powerful pumping station has been set up to extract stormwater from drains so it can be channelled directly to the river.
The artificial wetlands are used to filter stormwater in stages, but are now full.
At least one of Mildura's storm drains, on Hugh King Drive at the riverfront, was briefly overwhelmed by a back-up of water during storms on Saturday.
Mildura incident controller Mark Cattell told Sunraysia Daily on Sunday that the weekend's wet weather had caused some challenges and he warned city residents that any heavy downpours during the flood could leave substantial amounts of water in some streets.
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"If we do have some rain, there's going to be some water lying around and that's only because it can't go anywhere," Mr Cattell said, adding that pumps would be brought in to deal with problems where needed.
Mr Cattell said he believed that Karadoc residents, who were told on Sunday that they should evacuate, had been well prepared by earlier advice. Any residents who had opted to stay were being supported by constant communications and the delivery of sandbags.
It is understood that some residents of low-lying areas around Nichols Point are also sandbagging their properties.
The "Mad Mile" section of Ranfurly Way between Mildura and Merbein is expected to close during this week, as is Old Wentworth Road, which borders the fast-filling Merbein Common on the other side of town.
Mr Cattell said projections last week that the flood peak would be lower than previously thought had not changed, but the unknown factor in the weeks ahead would be water coming from New South Wales from the Darling, Lachlan and Edward rivers.
The upper Lachlan, which sometimes flows into the Murrumbidgee and then the Murray, is in major flood, but it will first spread into the Great Cambung Swamp and it is not yet known how much more water that can hold.
There is also major flooding on the upper Darling system, but it is weeks from the Murray junction at Wentworth and its future impact on the bigger river's flood is not yet known.
"We are maintaining contact with our NSW partners ... but I suspect we're probably in a pretty good position that will see the Murray probably start to recede before we see that (Lachlan River) water coming in," Mr Cattell said.
Regarding the Darling, Mr Cattell said NSW authorities were "still crunching their numbers". The Edward River, he said, could also contribute to the Murray flood, but it was possible this extra water would translate to a peak that lasted longer, rather than one that went higher.
ACCORDING to Bureau of Meteorology flood advice issued over the weekend, meanwhile, the Murray at Boundary Bend was approaching a peak near 9.05 metres, with major flooding slightly higher than the 1975 flood event.
The bureau said the river at Euston may peak near 10.10 metres (51.94 metres AHD), with moderate flooding.
The Murray at Mildura Weir was expected to exceed the moderate flood level (37.5 metres AHD) on Sunday and a peak near 38.3 metres AHD is expected late this week, with moderate flooding.
The Murray at Wentworth may reach the major flood level (33.88 metres AHD) around 23-25 November. Further rises to 34 metres AHD are possible from late November into December, with major flooding.
