Developing flood model scenarios for Cooper Creek

September 22nd, 2025

Using computer modelling to improve our understanding of floods and droughts in the Cooper Creek catchment in Queensland

This fact sheet describes the development of CSIRO’s Cooper Creek flood modelling story maps website.

Using computer modelling based on real-world data, researchers have explored how floods move through the Cooper Creek catchment. The data was then used to predict what impacts resource industry infrastructure and a range of different climate change scenarios might have on flooding.

A key output from this project is the development of Cooper Creek Flood Modelling story maps, which allow users to explore various flood modelling scenarios.

Flood models were developed to show three possible future scenarios: whether it gets drier (Dry climate), neither drier nor
wetter (Medium climate), or whether it gets wetter (Wet climate). This approach allowed researchers to develop 12 different
case studies.

For each of these case studies, there is interactive data and accessible information available on the Cooper Creek flood modelling story maps website.