Moderate Flood Warning Issued for Barcoo River; Minor Flooding for Thomson River and Cooper Creek

Alert Details

The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a Moderate Flood Warning for the Barcoo River and a Minor Flood Warning for the Thomson River and Cooper Creek. This update, Warning Number 45, was issued at 12:22 pm AEST on Tuesday, 17 February 2026. The alert remains in effect as significant river level rises continue across the region.

Affected Areas

The warning encompasses several key locations and river reaches in Queensland, including:

• Barcoo River: Blackall, Isisford Post Office, and Retreat.
• Thomson River: Camoola Park, Bogewong, and Stonehenge.
• Cooper Creek: Windorah.
• General Catchments: Barcoo River to Isisford and downstream of Isisford.

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected catchments are advised to monitor local conditions closely. As river levels are rising in many areas, stay informed through official updates from the Bureau of Meteorology. This warning will be updated as required as upstream flows arrive and conditions change.

Expected Conditions

• Barcoo River at Retreat: Moderate flooding is currently occurring. The river peaked at 6.10 meters at approximately 1:45 am Tuesday and is currently at 5.97 meters and falling. It is expected to remain above the moderate flood level of 4.50 meters for the next few days.
• Barcoo River at Blackall: Minor flooding is occurring. The river is expected to peak near 2.90 meters on Tuesday afternoon.
• Barcoo River at Isisford: The river was recorded at 3.48 meters and rising as of Tuesday morning. It is expected to exceed the minor flood level of 4.00 meters Tuesday afternoon.
• Thomson River at Camoola Park: Minor flooding is occurring with the river currently at 2.60 meters and rising. It is expected to stay above the minor flood level (2.00 m) for several days.
• Thomson River at Stonehenge: River levels are rising slowly and are expected to reach the minor flood level of 2.00 meters during Wednesday.
• Cooper Creek at Windorah: Minor flooding is possible starting mid-week as upstream flows arrive.

Additional rainfall and showers are possible over parts of the catchment over the next few days, which may lead to renewed rises later this week.

Timeline

The alert was issued at 12:22 pm AEST on Tuesday, 17 February 2026. Minor to moderate flooding is expected to persist for the next several days. The current warning period extends through 5:22 am on 20 February 2026, with further rises likely in downstream areas as upstream flows continue to travel through the system.