Mekong River level cause for concern in Nong Khai

 

  

NONG KHAI, 8 September 2016 (NNT) – Nong Khai province has reported a sudden rise in the level of the Mekong River with concerns it will continue to escalate. 

The Nong Khai water monitoring office under the Department of Water Resources has reported the latest height of the Mekong River at 8 meters and 63 centimeters, up by over 1 meter from the same time yesterday and only 3.57 meters below its flood barriers. 

With indications that waters in Chiang Kan of Loei province to the north have already risen 83 centimeters today, authorities are fearful that Nong Khai’s river levels will reach critical heights. The monitoring office has called for close watch over the next 24 hours. 

Authorities have also inspected the readiness of the province’s 14 water pumps installed along the Mekong River in anticipation of flash flooding. With more rains forecasted during this period, the office has decided to go on high alert.

 

-- nnt 2016-09-08

To be hoped the "14 water pumps" are HUGE, they will need to be to have any impact whatsoever!

The Mekong is more than huge - the pumps would need to be ginormous.

 

Crossing during the rainy season by ferry was often a white knuckle experience.  

no need to panic...

My God!! The last pic I saw of the Mekong a few months ago was a dusty dried up creek!!

2 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

The Mekong is more than huge - the pumps would need to be ginormous.

 

Crossing during the rainy season by ferry was often a white knuckle experience.  

it was great fun, travelled across from nakhon panhom a few times

 

I spent almost 2 years crossing to Nong Khai every week or two in the 70's when the boats hardly had enough power to keep from being swept downstream and avoiding floating trees was really hard.  That water did flow fast when the river was full.

45 minutes ago, Cuchulainn said:

My God!! The last pic I saw of the Mekong a few months ago was a dusty dried up creek!!

It is really amazing as during dry season it is indeed almost a walk-able bottom of a canyon with a small stream running - the amount of water required to fill it is just about beyond belief (at least for my small mind) - and it is flowing really fast when full so needs continuous replacement.

Now, would it not be hugely interesting not to let all that valuable water just disappear but try to find a way of storing it along the Mekong in natural or artificial basins, or even possible to it far into storages inland?

For bridging the dry season?

1 hour ago, hansnl said:

Now, would it not be hugely interesting not to let all that valuable water just disappear but try to find a way of storing it along the Mekong in natural or artificial basins, or even possible to it far into storages inland?

For bridging the dry season?

When it's dry season and water is short that will be thought about untill it's rainy season again ,then forgotten .

I go to chiang khaen every 90 days and have never seen the river low, always full and flowing strong.

16 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

It is really amazing as during dry season it is indeed almost a walk-able bottom of a canyon with a small stream running - the amount of water required to fill it is just about beyond belief (at least for my small mind) - and it is flowing really fast when full so needs continuous replacement.

Yes, I am in the Philippines and have a house on the banks of the Mighty Mekong and I am a little worried. 

It is indeed an amazing sight to see the before and after the rains.  Where my house is about 60 Klms East near Phon Phisai, during the dry there are large parts of the bed visible and as of todays pictures, the mind boggles at the volume of water that must be passing down the river, dams and all.

Plenty of people waiting to make use of all that water in the remaining 1,000 km of its journey (wild guess on length to the delta in Cambodia). An entire nation would run out of fish if Camby's Tonle Sap lake didn't double in size courtesy of rainfall in China, Thailand and Laos.

 

Meanwhile the Mun River that drains half of Isaan into the Mekong just as it's about to enter Laos on both sides seems to be at historically (recent history - only my 9 years casual observation) low levels.

.

Now, would it not be hugely interesting not to let all that valuable water just disappear but try to find a way of storing it along the Mekong in natural or artificial basins, or even possible to it far into storages inland?

For bridging the dry season?

Yeah. Sure. Screw all those downstream farmers who depend upon that water for their rice crops.

I think your idea would get on swimmingly among the Laotians, Cambodians and Vietnamese. Float it out amongst them and see if it sinks or swims.

5 hours ago, hansnl said:

Now, would it not be hugely interesting not to let all that valuable water just disappear but try to find a way of storing it along the Mekong in natural or artificial basins, or even possible to it far into storages inland?

For bridging the dry season?

Quit day dreaming. It cost money. 

Maybe the NongKhaiKid is thinking of trading in his motorsicle for a sea-dooo

11 hours ago, hansnl said:

Now, would it not be hugely interesting not to let all that valuable water just disappear but try to find a way of storing it along the Mekong in natural or artificial basins, or even possible to it far into storages inland?

For bridging the dry season?

A dam good idea!

Hi everybody, I am in the Philippines and worried about my house in Ban Nong Kung in Nong Khai province, closest town is Phon Phisai.  Anybody in the vicinity, do I need to panic ?

Bit worried about the river level, my house got flooded the year the Chinese opened all their dams, are we anywhere near that level ?

My house is 100 meters from the Mekong near where the blue river from Laos runs in.

Any reassurance would help me sleep better.? 

5 minutes ago, rosst said:

Hi everybody, I am in the Philippines and worried about my house in Ban Nong Kung in Nong Khai province, closest town is Phon Phisai.  Anybody in the vicinity, do I need to panic ?

Bit worried about the river level, my house got flooded the year the Chinese opened all their dams, are we anywhere near that level ?

My house is 100 meters from the Mekong near where the blue river from Laos runs in.

Any reassurance would help me sleep better.? 

http://www.mrcmekong.org/

accurate and timely...

Always the same with water, either too much  or too little.

so, has there been any recalcitrant dam owner(s)identified, who are either hoarding water downstream,

 

or is it the Chinese arrogantly flushing some of their many upstream dams out?

My God!! The last pic I saw of the Mekong a few months ago was a dusty dried up creek!!

The boats (restaurant) are almost level to the promenade ,remember you had to walk down to them


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

13 hours ago, hansnl said:

Now, would it not be hugely interesting not to let all that valuable water just disappear but try to find a way of storing it along the Mekong in natural or artificial basins, or even possible to it far into storages inland?

For bridging the dry season?

Too sensible for Thailand!

On 08/09/2016 at 0:33 PM, lopburi3 said:

It is really amazing as during dry season it is indeed almost a walk-able bottom of a canyon with a small stream running - the amount of water required to fill it is just about beyond belief (at least for my small mind) - and it is flowing really fast when full so needs continuous replacement.

Think of all that sewage being swept away.........