Lock 5 drained dry with vital Murray maintenance in full swing

Paringa’s 120-metre-long concrete chamber at Lock 5 has been drained of almost 8 million litres of water, as SA Water undertakes major refurbishments to the River Murray site.

Located downstream of the iconic Paringa Bridge, the maintenance work involves removing and resealing the site’s large hydraulic gates, replacing 12 internal water valves that control water levels in the chamber, and re-concreting sections of the lock floor.

Vessels are temporarily unable to navigate through the lock chamber while the work is undertaken, with the site and adjacent lawn area – including access to The Bunyip barge – expected to reopen in October 2026.

SA Water’s Senior Manager of River Murray Operations Garry Fyfe said it’s rare to see the lock completely drained of water.

“Lock 5 is a popular site given its close proximity to the popular Riverland towns of Renmark and Paringa, and this vital maintenance work will help ensure it can continue to serve the community well into the future,” Garry said.

“Unlike land-based projects, undertaking work on infrastructure embedded into the River Murray system requires several steps to ensure it can be done as quickly and safely as possible.

“This includes deploying a team of divers and remote-operated vehicles to go down to the depths of the Murray to help inform the overall condition of the lock.

“Following this, a temporary coffer dam-like structure was constructed at each end of the lock to prevent the flow of river water into the site before the water inside the chamber was gradually released downstream until it is safe for construction crews to access the floor.

“While we didn’t exactly find any submerged treasure as part of the big drain, we did pull out a few errant vehicle tyres that likely came unstuck from a houseboat passing through over the years, along with an in-tact double mattress.”

Mr Fyfe said the project has required careful and extensive planning to minimise disruption to river traffic without compromising on the scope of the works required.

“This included commencing our work immediately after the April school holidays, when we typically see a large reduction in recreational boat traffic during winter,” Garry said.

“Similarly, the project schedule is designed to ensure the site is reopened ahead of the warmer weather returning later this year, when boat numbers start to increase.

“This is important work that will ensure the longevity of the lock well into the future, and we’d like to thank the community for their patience while we complete this work as quickly as possible.”

On behalf of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, SA Water manages Locks One to Six in South Australia as well as Lock Seven at Rufus River and Lock Eight at Wangumma in New South Wales, and Lock Nine at Kulnine in Victoria.

The utility also operates barrages at Goolwa, Mundoo, Boundary Creek, Ewe Island and Tauwitchere.

For more information on SA Water’s network of locks and weirs, visit sawater.com.au.

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