Use of a gauge to save lives
Flood warning system wins award
AFTER the catastrophic floods of 2011, those in the Darling Downs know the tragic legacy of rising waters and the impact they can have on hundreds of thousands of people.
Cairns-born Mitchell Redenbach moved to Toowoomba in 2014 to study civil engineering at the University of Southern Queensland, and his choice of final year project was relevant to both his previous and new homes.
“I think part of my drive to get involved in water engineering, such as flood modelling, came from growing up in North Queensland where the wet season brings flooding practically every year,” he said.
“When I moved to the Darling Downs it wasn’t long after the 2011 floods, and it was clear that it was very fresh in everyone’s mind.
“I wanted to create an early warning system using only low-cost water level gauges because many small communities may not have the money to install a more expensive, conventional system.”
Mr Redenbach’s project, Practical Applications of LowCost Water Level Gauges in Flood Early Warning Systems, used Jondaryan as a case study.
“The issue with flood prediction based on forecasting is that it can be wrong, having the potential to cause complacency and people not being prepared in time,” he said.
“By looking at upstream water levels and flood peaks in order to predict downstream flooding, I created a hydraulic model while testing gauge options at the USQ labs.”
Mr Redenbach presented his work at the Queensland Water Symposium in Brisbane recently, taking part in the 2018 Michael Woodhouse Undergraduate Awards.
He was awarded second place among many water engineering projects.
Mr Redenbach will graduate next year, but has already secured full-time work with engineering consultant Water Modelling Solutions.