Micalo Island is a low-lying island in the Clarence River estuary, subjected to periodic flooding and tidal inundation. It remains an essential breeding and feeding habitat for a diverse array of important native fish species and other aquatic animals.
The island is within the final 6kms of the Clarence Valley floodplain before it meets the ocean and is surrounded by bodies of water local government mapping designates as “floodways”.
When the Clarence River floods the predicted flood depths in the centre of Micalo Island are likely to be in the vicinity of:
Flood 1 in 5yr 0.83-0.9, 0.9-0.98 metres
Flood 1 in 20yr 1.66-1.77 metres
Flood 1 in 50yr 1.75-1.86, 1.86-1.97 metres
Flood 1 in 100yr 2.09-2.2 metres
Flood Extreme 3.68-3.8 metres.
Like nearby Yamba, the island only has one road connecting it to the wider world, Yamba Road, which is frequently cut by floodwaters during flood events.
This is what Micalo Island looked like from the air in early April 2021, still covered in water even when the lower Clarence River was no longer in flood.
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| Micalo Island seen from the south Photograph supplied |
It will come as no surprise to readers who have experienced the collective madness of coastal developers, to discover that this island is seen as having largescale urban development potential.
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